George, Chief of Pocono Summit Volunteer Fire Department adds their patch to the collection

Ed from Mt. Jewitt Volunteer Fire department adds their patch after showing us some special art work to their rigs. 

Jay rode with us for a few miles or should I say we rode with him. Keep up the good work and thank you Jay

Darrell and Dave

Darrell Dean makes the scene

Yahoo DD is finally able to join us. He is already making the old bulls pick up the pace a little but as Dad says we always finish strong. I wish the rain would stop but it has not dampened anyone's spirit. NY here we come..

BTW, is that Forest standing next to Driver Fred

I rained on us all day yesterday and when we woke up this morning it was still raining. Rain again all day today. It was different today. We had the boy. The man. The machine. Later on in the day we were stopped to repair a flat on Dave's bike when a Scranton, PA news station stopped by for an interview. Thanks John and John. Check it out here by using this link http://www.wnep.com/news/countybycounty/wnep-crosscountry-bike-ride-honors-911-anniversary-20110906,0,7087632.story 

Seems as though every time the camera is near, so is Darrell Dean. Coincidence, not!

We still had about 25 miles to go and it is starting to get dark. Thank you to Pocono Summit Volunteer Fire Department for being so patient and thank you to you Tyler for getting out the media release. Another demonstration about how we all are connecting and making this work.

Beverly

  

Todays Ride is dedicated to Dave's Mom, Bev.
She showed us, by the way she lived, how to live a life of significance.  She never lost that child within and lived each moment with joy and shared it with others every chance she could.  Relationships, travel, and adventure were a few of her many passions, so this journey we are on is a glimpse into her heart and the way she lived.  We miss you Mom!  All our love!

To Remember Me

By Robert Test

        At a certain moment a doctor will determine that my brain has ceased to function and that, for all intents and purposes, my life has stopped.

When that happens, do not attempt to instill artificial life into by body by the use of a machine.  And don’t call this my “deathbed.”  Call it my “bed of life,” and let my body be taken from it to help others lead fuller lives.

        Give my sight to a man who has never seen a sunrise, a baby’s face, or love in the eyes of a woman.

        Give by heart to a person whose own heart has caused nothing but endless days of pain.

        Give my blood to the teenager who has been pulled from the wreckage of his car, so that he might live to see his grandchildren play.

        Give my kidneys to one who depends on a machine to exist from week to week.

        Take my bones, every muscle, every fiber and nerve in my body, and find a way to make a crippled child walk.

        Explore every corner of my brain.  Take my cells, if necessary, and let them grow so that someday a speechless boy will shout at the crack of a bat and a deaf girl will hear the sound of rain against her windows.

        Burn what is left of me and scatter the ashes to the winds to help the flowers grow.

        If you must bury something, let it be my faults, my weaknesses, and all my prejudice against my fellow man.

        Give my sins to the devil.  Give my soul to God.  If, by chance, you wish to remember me, do it with a kind deed or word to someone who needs you.  If you do all I have asked, I will live forever.

A Rain Day

No doubt who the boss of this trip is!
We left Galeton, PA under a light rain and it only continued to get heavier. By the time we got to Wellsboro, we were soaked so off to an outfitter business to get the gear we needed. Pants and Jackets were all we could get so our hands feet and head would have to suffer through it. We arrived in Towanda, PA where we will sleep for the night, including Darrell Dean. We'll all be together tomorrow:-))))

Day 1 remembered

Day 1 seems so long ago, but Darrell and Dave have stuck to the initial goals of the ride. To connect with as many people as possible to bring honor to the 343.

Chester Fire

Here we were, 5 miles out of our final destination, Meadville, PA when we
> ride up upon Conneaut Volunteer Fire Department. We do our usual thing and
> stop to see if there is anyone around. As with many volunteer departments,
> the doors are closed and lights out. But this station was different. It
> was attached to an upstairs restaurant/bar with a balcony. Then we noticed
> on the door a flyer that said Fri, Sept 2, BBQ members only. Turns out this
> volunteer department built their station with an attached restaurant above a
> downstairs banquet hall. This is how they raise money for the department.
> They even have a catering operation they run out of the station. Having
> spoken with volunteer departments across the country and knowing the
> difficulties many have with funding, we thought this was brilliant.
> Now, the story doesn't end here. I only learned about their operations
> because I made my way inside and upstairs to find a bustling restaurant/bar
> in full operation. I asked the hostess if she knew if any fireman were
> around. She asked me to wait a minute. She returned to inform me that the
> Chief was here but too busy cooking to come out and visit. She said he
> apologizes and that we were welcome to have a drink on him at the bar. I
> preceded to tell the hostess who we were and why we were here. I asked if I
> could leave a note for the Chief. While all this was taking place a
> gentleman walks in wearing a Chester Township Fire & Rescue (Ohio) shirt. I
> asked him if he was a Chester Fireman and he said yes. I introduce myself
> and told him what we were doing and about bringing patches to the New York
> FD to let them know that many across the country are thinking of them and
> the 343. He asked me to wait and told my he would be back in a minute.
> Next thing I know he hands me the Chester Fire symbol torn from a shirt. I
> turn to see that this did not come off another shirt in his car, but from
> the shirt he was wearing! Glenn Sanders is his name and although he didn't
> have a patch with him, he gave what he had to let FDNY know that he and
> Chester Fire are thinking of them. Glenn Sanders... you're the man!
> What a blessing it is to us to have such experiences as we continue across
> the US. Thank you to all of those that have been part of this journey. It
> is so wonderful to see the love that is flowing in the myriad of ways we
> have seen along our way.
> 
> ...and after learning more, Conneaut FD brought us patches and asked us to
> also leave one at Ground Zero if we can. They even offered us dinner and to
> put us up for the night. Thank you Conneaut FD. We would have loved to
> have stayed but had a previous engagement down the road.
> 

NYFD Rescue 1

Today's ride from Meadville Pa to Warren Pa is dedicated to the 11 firefighters that were riding heavy on Rescue 1 and lost their lives on Sept 11, 2001.