The David Retik you see here is the one I grew up with. Always joyful, he was the first of my friends to start a family. I will never forget how excited he was about being a father and how he encouraged me to become a father myself. Tragically, he boarded the ill-fated Flight 11, which left his two young children fatherless and his wife a widow while still carrying their third child.
This year on on the 20th anniversary of 9/11, I will join David's wife, Susan, and others in bicycling from Ground Zero back to Boston, while raising funding to support Afghan women and children. For 20 years now, Susan has channeled her grief and anger into helping widows in Afghanistan though Beyond the 11th. She realized these women had also suffered terrible losses, but didn't have the support and resources that she had received following the tragedy.
If you are wondering what you can do as you see horrors unfold in Afghanistan, please know that there has never been a more important time to help women and children there. Despite America's retreat and the rise of the Taliban, there is still help we can provide. Susan and the funds we are raising will be directed to organizations like CARE, who have been on the ground in Afghanistan for over 50 years. They have operated under Taliban rule before - and even the Taliban welcomes foreign aid. Beyond the 11th's efforts are focused on supporting women-led households, which have scant resources and other sources of aid. Helping to keep women and children out of poverty helps to attenuate the cycle of despair that contributed to the tragedy of 9/11.
Beyond the 11th has helped thousands of these forgotten women learn job skills so that they can support their families and educate their children—the dream of mothers everywhere. While the needs are enormous, the programs that Beyond the 11th invests in are working. Since 2003, Beyond the 11th has made over $1,000,000 in grants that directly assist Afghan widows in developing sustainable livelihoods, and for her efforts, Susan was awarded the Presidential Citizen's Medal in 2010 by Barack Obama.
Please join us on this 20th anniversary of 9/11 in supporting Beyond the 11th's efforts to aid women and children in Afghanistan. Your gift is tax deductible and don't forget to check if your company has its own matching gift program, too!
Thank you for your support and for being a part of this amazing journey!
Beyond the Bike 2021
Beyond the Bike, a 3-day 260-mile bike ride from Ground Zero in NYC to Boston, is the signature fundraising event of Beyond the 11th.
Beyond the Bike 2021 will mark the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, when co-founder Susan Retik’s husband was killed on the first plane to hit the World Trade Center. Together with Susan, we will ride in honor of all the victims and rescuers who lost their lives that day. But we will also ride in celebration of the countless acts of courage and humanity that have marked the decade since.
Beyond the Bike is so much more than just a bike ride. We begin at the memorial pools at the site of Ground Zero, make our way out of NYC through the rolling hills of CT eventually arriving back in Boston. The 3 days are physically challenging which makes the accomplishment so rewarding. But it’s the people who make the experience so memorable. The small community of riders (we cap it at 45), the incredible support team, and all of the volunteers along the way make this fundraiser the best thing you’ll do all year…
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON BEYOND THE 11th GO TO WWW.BEYONDTHE11TH.ORG
Beyond the 11th was born out of the compassion we received after 9/11. In the midst of our own loss, we learned about the struggles faced by Afghan widows—limited access to education, few opportunities to earn an income, and little support to provide for their families. We recognized the contrast between the help we were given and the challenges they faced, and we chose to use our spotlight and our voices to help—just as so many had helped us. After more than two decades of serving Afghan widows, Beyond the 11th will be winding down at the end of 2026. This decision comes with both deep reflection and a steadfast commitment to lasting impact. Since 2003, our work has centered on empowerment—supporting widows in Afghanistan through job training, literacy, and economic development. In 2021, we partnered with Razia’s Ray of Hope to launch a dedicated widows program, and since then, we have funded it annually. Now, in our final chapter, we are committed to raising enough money to ensure this program can sustain itself for years to come. This program provides stipends to families of girls who attend the Zabuli Education Center (K–6 school in Deh’Subz) if their mother is widowed or the head of household. The support extends beyond the student to the entire family, ensuring stability and dignity for those most vulnerable.
Our goal is to endow this program for the future, so that widowed families will continue to receive ongoing support long after Beyond the 11th has closed its doors.
While this is the close of one chapter, it is the continuation of another. Together, we can carry forward the mission of hope, resilience, and opportunity for Afghan widows.