by Alex Lloyd Gross
Team Traffic. Who are they and what do they do? They are a group of people that show support and raise money for people in need. They will also life spirits of those that may be a bit down. Comprised of mostly police and other first responders, according to Courtney Costanzo, a spokesperson for the group, you do not have to be a police officer or emergency responder to join their ranks.
Primarily, the group does the ride to the shore, where people will bike from the Ben Franklin Bridge to the Jersey Shore. “Different people ride in groups, Some are more experienced than others, they ride at a different pace,”she said.
When they ride, they have a goal and that is to raise money for families of fallen officers. The team was started by Philadelphia Police Officer Chan Nheb and has bee n in existence for several years. Nheb is the Captain of the organization. “We are not just doing rides to the shore, we will ride as opportunities present themselves,” Costanzo said.
Once such opportunity was in Bensalem, Bucks County to cheer up a sick child. The families face was really amazing, their look, when they saw us,”Costanzo said. As warmer weather is coming up, the group has two or three rides planned for this year.
They have a Facbook group that people can join. They are looking for sponsors , riders or just anyone that might want to help out or maybe suggest someone that might need auic bit of cheering up. When they did their last Ben to the shore ride, each rider on their team raised a minimum of $200.00. They started doing those rides about five years ago, according to Costanzo.
During rides, not everyone can ride quickly, different riders go at their own pace. Some cannot complete the ride, the “They do what they can,” Costanzo said.