Monday, September 13, 2004 3:31 PM PDT

STAFF REPORT (Printed from Article by Imperial Valley Press www.ivpressonline.com )

Where do two sexagenarians riding bicycles from the Pacific to the Atlantic Ocean to raise funds for fallen firefighters and police rest and recuperate in El Centro?

At the El Centro fire station, of course.

Wally Willig, a 66-year-old diabetic, and 62-year-old Lester Miller, both of Pennsylvania, are riding bicycles from San Diego to Savannah, Ga., to raise funds and awareness of their group's efforts on behalf of fallen firefighters and police officers.

The El Centro Firefighters Association provided funds for a full-blown carne asada feast with all the trimmings, and the on-duty fire crew fired up the grill. In between emergencies, the crew hosted the bike riders and their chase van driver, Thomas Mattick, for dinner.

"It was great telling these guys about our city and the history of the Imperial Valley," commented El Centro Firefighter Trey Faubion, also the shift chef. "During dinner, they told us about how they are using the Internet to chronalog their trip, and several elementary schools in their home area are checking the Web site daily to get a geography lesson and correspond with the riders.

"Also the chase car driver, Thomas Mattick, is from Germany and has only been in the U.S. for a few weeks. It was fun teaching him how to make a carne asada burrito. I don't think he'd ever seen a tortilla before," Faubion added.

Willig and Miller are riding across the country to assist their group, the Two Hundred Club of the Coastal Empire, raise funds for fallen firefighters and police officers.