Lion Apparel put on a great event!!!

Hayley Fudge from Lion Apparel did a great job putting on an event at their headquarters in Dayton Ohio. We had a proclomation from their Mayor Rhine McLin and from the United States Senate by way of Senator Sherrod Brown. We are starting to be recognized all over the Country for our work toward bringing more awareness for our women and bringing all these great organizations together to create their own fundraising campaigns. Thank You Lion Apparel for caring about the women of your community.

Ashland Ohio, another stop by the pink fire truck

We met a wonderful women at our last event who was so moved by the truck, we decided to drive the 70 miles to her town and visit her mom who is a survivor of breast cancer. Susan Dambro not only let her mom sign the truck but we also put her in the Captains position and all her kids on the back, to take a ride through town. We also took the truck to her 13 year old daughters soccer game to cheer her on and of course the ladies that were there, who have all fought breast cancer, came over to sign the truck as well. Rita, it was an honor to meet you, you're such an inspiration to all of us, thanks for being a part of our lives.

University Heights Cares Enough To Wear Pink

We had a great time in the Cleveland area at University Heights station 1 today, thanks to Keith Kanner. Their department had already made their shirts and even had hundreds to sell to give to two local charities of their choice. They plan on wearing their shirts on the 25th, 26th and 27th of October and do a fundraiser throughout October to give to these two charities. How can anyone not honor this event when all we are asking is that at the very least, we care enough to wear pink for our women. I think that is why we have not run into ONE department that has not gotten on board this event. We are men supporting our women in their fight against cancer and it is in our nature to fight for our women.

Katina and Central Valley

After New York and before New Hampshire we stopped in Central Valley New York to pay a special visit to a friend of Lisa's, Katina Chontos who has been helping us for about 7 months and who has been one of our biggest supporters. She set us up with a place to stay and all our meals where taken care of by the Bright Star Diner. Her friends from the diner made sure we had coats to wear in New Hampshire, so that our Arizona bodies would not get cold. While we were there we had a static display of the truck right on the road in front of the diner, people that drove by all waved and honked their horns, the people of Central Valley sure made us feel welcome.

Katina is on the right and Lisa is on the Left.

Pittsburgh and a visit to some old friends

Thanks to Chief Francis DeLeonibus and the Pittsburgh fire department, we had a great time visiting their famous Market Square in downtown Pittsburgh. Francis stayed with us for two days to make sure the fire truck was safe and that we had everything that we needed for our stay. I also touched base with an old friend of mine Jim Flaherty the VP of their Local Union #1, he was with us the last time we came through here on our golf carts, Jim also took us out to dinner. On our way out of town we paid a special visit to his daughter Jamie who is a cancer survivor, at her work and snapped some great pictures of her signing the truck. It is an honor to have Jim's daughter Jamie sign the truck, thank you Jamie.

coming home party in Scottsdale!!!!!

We will be having a coming home party in Scottsdale on the 26th of October from 5-9pm in downtown Scottsdale on the Waterfront right on the pink bridge. We are inviting all the fire departments and police departments to bring a vehicle to support all the women of our communities. I will ask all the Mayor's from each city in the valley to please attend and support the arrival of the pink fire truck. This fire truck has become very important to so many women all over the country and it represents the support by all of us, especially men who recognize that we need to make an effort regardless if it has hit home, that we need to do more to support organizations that help them with the fight against cancer. Please send a message to your community leaders to attend this event. So far the Peoria, Luke Air Force Base and Scottsdale fire departments will honor the Cares Enough to Wear Pink Days, They are true leaders of the valley for our women. I hope other cities see the true benefit to this campaign, this will make a huge impact for our women. Right now we have hundreds of fire and police departments along with community leaders starting their own support groups to help their women.

Lancaster and Harrisburg gave us quite a show

We had a great reception in Lancaster PA! Thanks to Angel for getting things organized and making the necessary arrangements. Angel and I became friends when I golfed across America five years ago and he did a great job. He made some phone calls to the Capitol of Pennsylvania to set up some great shots with the politicians from Pennsylvania.

Reading, Lancaster and Harrisburg kept us very busy

We drove nine hours through the night to make it to Reading for a meeting with the Mayor, the fire fighters gave us an escort and even took our truck to their shop to fix a leak in our radiator. We have made so many friends along our journey and we look forward to coming back to these great cities. All these cities are getting involved in wearing pink for their women and will soon start raising money for the cancer organizations in their communities, we are making a huge difference and thanks to all of the folks that are helping the pink truck make its way across the country.

Concord and Pittsfield New Hampshire made us feel like home

Globe Manufacturing who made the pink turnouts did a wonderful job putting on our events in Concord and Pittsfield while we were there. A Big Thanks goes out to Lisa Wickman and Stephanie McQuade from Globe and a special thanks goes out to all the 350 employees from that great company Globe. We had the American Cancer society come out and support the fire truck along with a local band.

More Pics from East Rutherford

Tom, you were so very important for this stop in East Rutherford, thanks for getting a hold of your Buddy Tony to help us with some logistics and just being the kind of guy you are, we thank you. It was an honor to go by and see your mom, we know why you are the kind of person you are, she is very special.

Please see this video of us dancing in the streets of New York, it is very funny.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNvsxJemqsw

East Rutherford what a City!!!!

So we make it to East Rutherford and they put a police officer to stay with the truck over night to stand guard on the truck, it has become quite valuable with all the signatures on it and the stories of survival that come with them. The next morning we had a parade through their town to visit some important sights and people. While we were on the parade the trailer hitch snapped and the trailer receiver broke as well right in the middle of the road. Within minutes the Police Chief and Fire Department called a city welder and worked on it non stop for four hours so we could get the escort into the Lincoln Tunnel and into New York City. A very special thanks goes out to Carlstadt Police and Fire departments and also the Woodbridge Police department for making this event a success. While they were fixing the trailer we resumed our parade with just the fire truck, East Rutherford and their citizens deserve a big thank you from all of us for their kindness and support. When we started going into the tunnel I read on the sign that the max height for vehicles was 13 feet and I was praying that Johnny from Maricopa Metals made the height shorter than that, of course I didn't even think about the height of the Tunnel when I asked for the escort into the City. Can you imagine the pink fire truck getting stuck in the tunnel. We made it by four inches and got through the tunnel just perfect, I think the good Lord is watching out for us and I am sure there are lots of people all across the country praying for us as well. We stopped right in front of Radio City Music Hall for four hours and what a sight we were. I will have more pictures when we download them from all our cameras and we get some sent to us by others who were there.

From DC to Emmitsburg into Philadelphia

Washington DC and station 6 were great to us and the Fire Chief along with many of the Assistant Chiefs came out to visit us. They had the media come to the station and get the word out about our project, a special thanks goes out to Terry the captain on duty at the time for making a few calls for us. From there we made our way to the National Fire Academy to pay them a visit on the invite from Battalion Chief Mike Donlan. Mike stayed with us for two days and toured us around the area, he also gave us some great contacts for the Philadelphia area. We decided to have Jasper stay with him and his Fiance at their home and play with their female lab Toby. We also planned a surprise visit to retired National Fire Chief Charlie Dickinson's home to give his wife a gift and let her sign the fire truck. Mike and the rest of the gang at the National Fire Academy will be on our National tour every year due to the response we got from all the students at the Academy and the surrounding towns.

Virginia Beach has set a new BAR!!!!

April Elmore of Virginia Beach Fire Department went all out for our event and she even had the Mayor come out and YES, the Mayor made a proclamation for our event, making the 15th of October the Cares Enough to Wear Pink day by the Citizens of Virginia Beach and the 25, 26th and 27th be the days the Public Safety wear pink. She reminds me a lot of a Mayor that I know in Glendale Arizona, Elaine Scruggs who is also a visionary, I am sure we will have a proclamation in the near future for the women of Glendale.

When we arrived, there was at least a 100 firefighters in pink waiting for us at the Mall, thanks again goes out to April Elmore and the firefighters of Virginia Beach.

More pictures!!!!

Here are some more pictures and check out our new Mascot Jasper on the pink motorcycle. Crystal missed us in Charleston and drove four hours to sign the truck for her Aunt, she is a very special person and she must be a little nuts like myself to drive so far, this truck has quite a following.

These are fire Chiefs and fire fighters who wanted to have a little fun in the pink turnouts, we are coming together for our women and we are having fun doing it.

We are starting to get motorcycle escorts wherever we go, thanks again goes out to the Red Nights for our escort.

More pictures!!!!

Raleigh and Durham are in, for the Cares Enough to Wear Pink Days for their women

Two cities coming together to rally around this pink truck for the women of their towns, what a site to see, so many trucks and firefighters and EMS personnel in one place. Maria from Durham Fire and Kristy from Raleigh fire put on a great show of support for the Pink Fire Truck. Both cities are going to work on promoting their own awareness programs and fund raising for the Charities of their respected cities on the 25th, 26th and 27th of October. It is great to see so many leaders that are visionaries, so willing to add to the list of charities we in the Public Safety already do, I think this one is well worth our time and it looks like I am not alone. I look forward to coming back to these two cities and I will give them more than three weeks to get it organized, what a job they did on short notice!!

Raleigh and Durham are in for the Cares Enough to Wear Pink Days for their women

Myrtle Beach was Great!!!!

Bill and Renee Collins Picked us up about fifty miles outside of Myrtle Beach and escorted us into town. We stopped by a restaurant called the Dead Dog Saloon where they were having a fundraiser for firefighters in the area and it was in honor of (9-11) We sat there for a while and met some great folks and then went to the Imaging center where we were greated by a bunch of screaming ladies, they even sang us a song that made us all laugh. James a firefighter from nearby Midway Fire invited us to his home the following morning to wash the truck and have some coffee. While we were there we decided to visit his daughters middle school to show the truck and talk to the kids, which we love. Renee and Bill thought we were going to stay about four hours but when I got there I told them we would like to stay the night, within a few minutes Renee without any hesitation got on the phone and got us some rooms right on the beach. We didn't get to enjoy the beach but we could hear the ocean as we sat in our rooms. Thanks Bill, Renee and James for making it a great experience.