PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Thousands are expected to attend the 66th annual Hero Thrill Show on Saturday at the South Philadelphia Sports Complex.
The Philadelphia Police Highway Patrol Motorcycle Drill Team dazzled the crowd on their service Harleys at a sneak peek on Friday, alongside bike, K-9 and mounted units.
“What you’re seeing are actually death-defying maneuvers that push these motorcycles far beyond what they were manufactured to do,” said Jimmy Binns, Philadelphia lawyer, deputy chief of the Darby Township Police Department, and certified instructor of police motorcycle operators.
He’s also been the president and CEO of the Hero Thrill Show for the past 16 years. The event raises money to support the education of the children of fallen firefighters and police officers.
This is the first time the fundraiser falls on 9/11.
“We have great reverence for those who lost their life on 9/11,” said Binns. “What this is is a microcosm of that. These families go through every year the loss of a loved one in the line of duty, be they a firefighter or a police officer. And so we honor those families and we put the children through college.”
Since Binns has been president, he’s helped put 27 children through college. More than 600 family survivors have benefited from the Hero Thrill Show’s funding.
The show wasn’t held last year because of the coronavirus pandemic.
“Everyone is dedicated to this, and it’s a very exciting event, especially for the [children],” Binns added.