This summer, a ride on the iconic Coney Island Cyclone has even more significance.
Riders can honor fallen FDNY Captain Vincent Giammona, a victim of 9/11, with the Ride Like Vinny campaign.
You're likely going to Coney Island at least once this summer anyway, so why not make it for a special cause?
Proceeds from tickets Cyclone tickets will go to the N.Y. Police and Fire Widows' & Children's Benefit Fund, known as Answer the Call for short, to continue to help the families of NYC's fallen heroes.
Here's Vinny's story:
The weekend before September 11, 2001, FDNY Captain Vincent Giammona and his wife took their daughters to Coney Island for the day.
As they were driving home, Vinny turned back and saw the Cyclone Roller Coaster. He told his family he needed to go back to ride it even though the ride was closed. Vinny spotted a worker and explained his 40th birthday was coming up on Tuesday and that he was a NYC Firefighter.
[anad]
His wish was granted! Vinny was the only one on the roller coaster. He sat in the front car, with one hand up, and a huge smile on his face, while his wife and daughters cheered from behind the fence. Tragically, it was his final birthday wish.
A few days later, on Tuesday, September 11, 2001, Vinny turned 40 years old. He was among the 403 FDNY, NYPD, and PAPD heroes that sacrificed their lives in the line of duty while protecting our city that day.
"Ride Like Vinny" seeks to honor the selfless and heroic spirit with which Vinny and other heroes died. Each "Ride Like Vinny" ticket is good for one admission on The Coney Island Cyclone and can be used any day before October 29, 2017. Tickets can be purchased
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Do your part as a New Yorker and show your love for this city and those who protect it by riding like Vinny on the Coney Island Cyclone!
Answer the Call is a nonprofit organization that provides financial assistance and a network of ongoing support to the families of NYC first responders killed in the line of duty.
[Feature Image Courtesy Inquisitr]