skip to main |
skip to sidebar
6-24-08 -- Hometown Hero comes home! It was a special day in Enumclaw when hometown boy, Kasey Kahne made a quick trip home. It seemed at times that the whole town showed up to have him sign something or other, or take a picture with him, or shake his hand, and tell him how proud they are of him. Pretty heady stuff, and pretty impressive to get to see Kasey not only touching so many, but being touched by so many more. 
This young man, with the youthful face, and eyes that melt most females is an amazingly grounded and humble man. There is NO sign that all of the adulation has gotten anywhere near his head. Niiiice!
He signed
everything from tiny little models of his car, to stuffed animals, car
parts, a young woman's cast, tires, and even cars! I was really
tempted to ask him what is the most unusual thing he has been asked to
sign, but he rarely had a chance to talk. So I just enjoyed the
opportunity to photograph him & his fans. It was impressive.
<< Okay fine, there was this one young guy wasn't quite sure who Kasey was. Or maybe he was just guarding that Monster drink. In any event, we're pretty sure that Dad will get him trained up soon!
Kasey was gracious to all, never showing any sign of being tired. He smiled for photos, and seemed genuinely touched by the tokens and gifts that his fans brought to share with him or give him. He would look at photos people had taken of him at previous events and chat them up, honestly interested.
His fans are from every class, and every age. He is still very much a family guy. There were kids from his old schools who came with messages from past teachers. He impacts so many. There were a number of special needs kids there, and he would take extra time making them feel extra special.
His great grand-father was there watching as the event went on. 
Kasey actually stopped durng the signing to ask after him, making sure he was okay. Turns out his great grandfather was a WWII vet. He is a neat character with that same big infectious smile. He laughed when I asked if he'd do the BadAss shot, and we did it under a photo of Kasey in the same pose.
State Patrol, and local Police were on hand to make sure all was well. They were enjoying themselves on this duty, and interacted very well with everyone there.
His mom Tammy 
(Whom I adore!) makes sure everything flows smoothly. And she is asked to sign things as well. People know both of them, and there were a number of people who were there to give hugs to both of them. Tammy moved recently, and a lot of us miss her.
Kasey did a Q&A session before the signing, and the room was packed wall to wall with a lot of people still outside, not willing to lose their place in line.
Even the kids get into it ... We saw several #9's carved into haircuts on young boys. And young or old, they love the Kasey Kahne clothing line .., A lot of which Tammy has begun designing!
Everything they did showed the affection and appreciation Kasey & Tammy both have for his fans. They make everyone feel so special ... 
Kasey signed karen Leming's shirt for the newly formed Pierce County Firefighter Pipes & Drum Band. And he even took the time to send a thumbs up to our Canadian driver, Tyler Brown ...
Young up & coming drivers came in and thanked him for his support and encouragement, and he made each of them feel like they could be right where he is one day. 
We have a lot of enthusiasm up here for NASCAR, and racing. There is still a lot of hope that one day we will have a track here.
The best reaction (Okay, I'm biased here) was when he was asked about his visit to Madigan Army Medical Center. This is the hospital at Fort Lewis where our wounded troops are treated after their return.
Without any type of entourage, or any fanfare, Kasey made a surprise appearance at the hospital. He touched a lot of hearts with this gesture. He wasn't there for the press, or to amp us his popularity ... he was there to pay his respects to our heroes. His answer told how much it touched his heart.
Kasey has been a supporter of our troops for a long while. This move was not a surprise to those who follow him, and know his heart. Through Tammy, Kasey has sent his shirts to our troops in the desert for the past three years. You can go back though our archives and see photos of troops all over the desert wearing Kasey's shirts --- and they love them!
By the way, if you're a Kasey fan, you are already ahead of the curve if you want to show your support for the troops ... The Red Friday campaign has spread to Canada now. You show your support for our troops by wearing RED on Fridays. All of you kaey fans, wear your Kasey Kahne shirts on Fridays & you can support all of our heroes! (Hey, maybe we can get Tammy to design a special Red Friday shirt for the fans to show their support for our troops.)
C'mon, RED is good enough for Kasey! Ask anyone ... he's RED HOTTTTT! ( ;
We applaud his patriotism, and salute both he and Tammy for their support of the HeroToHero.US Troop Morale Campaign.
Thank you to everyone involved in bringing our hometown hero home! You brought a lot of smiles with him!
lj
6-22-08 -- The Pile Up in Puyallup
ThePXTeam.org << To learn more about this event and get the real facts ... 
(Because if I were to try to describe what was going on, it would something akin to ... "There was this car, and it was upside down, and then these firefighters in cool jumpsuit with big jaws of life tools were just cutting them open ..."
See, you really want to get it from the pros! So check the the Puyallup Extrication Team or the FLEX Team out of Fort Lewis.
And if any of you guys want to send me a writeup, I will happily replace all of this nonsense with the real deal.
Anyway, enjoy the photos!
lj
6-11-08 -- Who could have asked for a more amazing last event of the tour!!! We were wrong when we thought the highlight was dinner and the show at Oh Canada, Eh? (Though it was awesome - don't get me wrong).
Leila's surprise for us was not just seeing the lights on the Falls 
... We were allowed to actually work the lights on the Falls!!!
I think we're all still beaming! Talk about amazing!!! This was a moment that each and every one of us will carry for life, and Leila we cannot thank you enough!
We also want to thank
Pete for allowing us into his world of lights. Pete is one of the main Falls Illuminators and makes the magic behind the scenes that so many people come for. As if this wonder of the world is not unbelievable on its own, when you see the light show on the water at night, it stops you in your step.
Our first time here JeeNee was on the tour and I wanted to thank her for her hard work on the road. We got a hotel with a great view and I pulled the curtains back to say thanks in a really big way ... Just as they shut the lights down for the night. It was laughable.
But this more than made up for it!
We even got to see the friendly raccoons that live there at the light house. The whole evening up there was almost surreal! Leila and Pete told us stories of the Falls and shared the news clippings all over the walls. You could spend a week just reading the words written about the Falls over the years. We felt like we were peeking in on the Wizard of Oz, and no one was clicking their heels in a hurry to get out.
But our story was coming to an end. It was time to pack it all up and bring it on home. This was magical, and we thank you for allowing us to share this as a team, as family.
Leila, Pete ... 
You rock!
And with this my friends, I am going to take some down time and hopefully lose this cold. My eyes are blurry from all the edits, but it was important to make sure that you ALL know you made a big impact on us, and left indelible marks on our hearts.
Thank you so much. You know this is an important mission. Please keep troop morale at the forefront of your world until all of our troops are back home with their loved ones.
Canadian fire, ems, & police ... Kevin McHarg is your go-to guy. He will make sure your shirts get your troops.
American fire, ems, & police ... We need you to PLEDGE your support this year. The program has changed down here, and you will send your shirts directly to the troops when they make their requests to us.
Bless you all! and thank you Canada for opening your arms to this "little program that could" ... Because of you we are - and will!
lj
PS ... Leila the opening shot is for you ... It's all about the Red & White, eh? Go Team Canada~
**There are more pix of this stop, having trouble getting them to load - will post this week hopefuly.
6-11-08 -- Oh Canada, eh? What a great way to mark the end of the tour of Canada. I'd been here before with Kevin, Sue, Kelly & Kathy last year, so it was great to get to see it through the eyes of the first-timers.
I don't think we had laughed this long and this hard for the entire tour.
Kudos to the performers and staff of Oh Canada, Eh? 
They were outstanding! And without reservation, we would recommend you take the time to see this show if you find yourself in Niagara Falls (Or the Canadian Rockies)
Enjoy the pix, we sure had a great time taking them ... Even Hailey who was scared to death when the Mountie came out of the dark in a full afro singing a rousing Lenny Kravitz style "American Woman". 
Didn't see her move that fast for the entire tour! lol
After our great evening, we still had one more special thing to do. We would be doing Niagara Falls at night. But first we needed to stop by the firehouse for a goodnight and a very heartfelt thank you for making sure we had the perfect place to stay. 
And so it was that we coined another of our Niagara Falls firefighter heroes.
And with excitement and a sense of accomplishment, the team was off to the Falls! Our Niagara Falls EMS hero, Leila said she had a surprise for us ... Hmmm, we knew what it was ... She was going to arrange to have the lights on the Falls be red, white & blue!!! Couldn't be anything cooler than that, right?
Stay tuned!
lj
**** ADDITIONAL PHOTOS HAVE BEEN ADDED SINCE THE ORIGINAL POSTING - COURTESY OF HAILEY McHARG.
6-11-08 -- Hamilton was our last official stop, and it was absolutely perfect!
Something very refreshing about this stop. In most cities we find that the fire and police stand together ... but apart. In Hamilton it was the police that suggested our photo op be in front of the fire rig.
These guys turned it out! 
They looked crisp and sharp in their uniforms, and we truly respected the effort made on our behalf. Any troop looking in to see how their hometown represents for their deployed would be most honoured.
Not only did they look good, but they had done their homework, and the boxes of shirts they brought out, spoke to that directly.
They took it easy on Ms Medic, as she was still pretty "wrung out" from the Niagara visit. Se, big hearts!
As you enter Hamilton there is a huge globe representing the earth, we don't know if it is a city thing, or if it is for a business. But it seemed appropriate that this relatively small hometown would be reaching out across the globe to send their love and respect to all of the Hamilton troops so far from home.
It was still hot outside, and these heroes stood in the hot sun without a quibble -- Actually it was me that requested we come inside the bay for the presentations. Who knew it could get so hot in Canada?!
A reporter from the Hamilton Spec took Larry to the side for what turned out to be a great article. Meanwhile we presented our Director's coins to representatives from both the police & fire sides of the house.
We even got one of the younger firefighters to do the obligatory "shirt off my back" shots for us. Gotta love the good sports at these stops. They all feel a little silly at first, but when they realize this is for the hometown troops, they always rise to the occasion, and we always appreciate it.
Something special was added to this our last stop. Kevin had been having a very special shirt signed by every first responder along the way. This shirt was only signed after all adding their messages knew that it was being done for Jack Babcock, Canada's last living World War I veteran. This man is 107 years old, still lives on his own, takes walks and reads a book a week -- I don't even do that!
Kevin tasked me (Turnabout's fair play, eh?) to personally deliver this shirt to Mr Babcock, as he lives in our neck of the woods, in Spokane, Washington. And I am honoured to do this for all of you. *This is on hold at the moment as it appears that I picked up a pretty ferocious cold during the tour, and the last thing I want to do is to knock on his door and share this with him.
Anyway, the last signature was added to the shirt in Hamilton. Then they formed up and in unison raised their hands in a salute to Mr Babcock - it was perfect!
In return, Larry presented the final honour shirt to Hamilton. This shirt was actually worn in Iraq by a wounded American troop. It has been adorned and signed by wounded American troops and symbolizes their support for the mission of the Canadian troops who are wounded in the line of duty.
After the presentation, Larry took a step back and raised his hand in a solid salute -- the hand that was severely wounded by a suicide bomber -- to the Heroes of Hamilton. he ended with a loud "Hoo-AH!"
We concur!
Thank you all so much for being the perfect last stop. Hope to see you again in the future.
lj
PS -- We THINK there are more pix from this stop. But no one can find them yet. If/when we do, they will post here as well.
6-11-08 -- NIAGARA FALLS FIRE -- This was a return visit for us and one we looked forward to. This is the same department that used last year's Stunt Bear, Rookie, as a target in a makeshift hockey game. Rookie wasn't as amused are were we. But hey, that's what he signed on for.
This year we lucked into a training situation and so the firefighters were more than willing to take a break for a little bit, to play and represent for their deployed Niagara troops.
We kept it pretty casual, as we didn't want to take them away for too long. So we gave them their mission ... have fun with this year's Stunt Bear, Ms Ineeda Medic. And that they did! Oh my.
Most of the team headed upstairs to sign the banner and take a small break. We assumed the guys would surprise when we came out and we would see what their ornery lil minds had come up with. But no, they were into it, and luckily our cameras were onhand -- Great job Hailey & Brad!
Poor Ineeda bit off a bit more than she could chew on this one. LOL 
She was a football, then somehow she ended up taped on the end of the nozzle going for one heck of a wild ride. 
I didn't see that one, but I bet it was crazy.
She took in a lot of water, and despite some pretty crude compressions, we thought she was a goner for a few minutes. 
The firefighters felt so sad, and took a moment to pay their respects. But then, TADA! She was fine. She told us later that she was just messing with them. But she did comment later that she thought she'd been as waterlogged as she could get, in Toronto -- And she had to admit she was wrong!
This stop was also great because it was where we got to meet one of our best new friends, EMS Leila Paugh. What a character
-- We love her!
She even joined us for lunch, where we got to share a game that we'd been taught back in the 80's by Canadian troops. 
Ever heard of Crud? We used to have a blast with this game - When it didn't go to the "combat" version, that is. In fact, they used to have Crud Tournaments back at Seymour-Johnson AFB that would pack the Officer's club to overflowing.
We needed to backtrack for a scheduled event in Hamilton, but then we would be back later in the early evening for more in Niagara ... and we couldn't wait!
Niagara -- You rock!!! We'll see you on our next visit. Enjoy your book, and thanks for playing!!!
lj
**Hailey McHarg's photos have been added to this post -- Enjoy the pix!
6-10-08 -- Ontario Professional Fire Fighters Association.
What an honor. To be asked to speak and present the HeroToHero.US Troop Morale Campaign to the OPFFA Convention in Collingwood at the Blue Mountain Resort.
Now, we'd been doing a lot of speeches since arriving in Canada, and were very aware that the last thing they would be in the mood for at the end of a long day, was a long speech.
So we wanted to come in lighthearted and see if we could spark some laughs from them. And so it was that we decided to retrieve an old Ranger tradition. The idea is that the speakers must place their hand in ice water as they begin addressing the audience. They are allowed to speak only as long as they can bear the cold. Cuts down on speech time, and brings laughter to the room. Gotta love those creative troops!
So we decided to give it a try. How hard could it be anyway? Well, let me tell you! That's COLD!!! In fact, this might be the appropriate place to insert an apology for anyone I might have offended. I am an Irish sailor's daughter, and I have no idea what came out of my mouth after the "Holy ___!!!" See, the great staff at Blue Mountain were all too willing to help us out. They came up with a bucket and added lots of ice to the water. But then we had to wait a while, and being the efficient team they are, they announced happily that they had added more ice for us shortly before we went on. Ummm, thanks?
President of the OPFFA 
Fred LeBlanc was most welcoming, introducing the team and sharing the stage with us.
All eyes were on us trying to figure out the bucket. So we explained. There was some
laughter, my hand went in, there was an instantaneous shock, the quick
utterance of whatever I said, and then more laughter. Guess we hit our
mark. But jeez, that was cold! 
Best of all was that Kevin had to do the same thing. No wait,best of all was hearing later that the guys wanted to put it to a vote to have Fred and all of their speakers do the same in the future. (We want pictures!)
The room was filled and we were most impressed that they seemed very focused and taking in all we said. We knew that they had been asked to bring a shirt with each member, but we'd seen that request before.
As I spoke I was actually distracted at one point when I realized that every table had shirts on them. Guys were writing their messages as we spoke. It was tough not to tear up, seeing so many of our heroes who really "got it". We salute you, each and every one! What an amazing turn out!
Another moment that filled our throats with big lumps was when Larry Kaibetoney was introduced as our Combat-Wounded Purple Heart member. 
The room erupted into a loud standing ovation, the likes of which we had not experienced over our five years. Larry's eyes filled with tears and his chest with pride as the applause just kept going. Again, no doubt that the men & women in this room "got it".
Keeping with one of
our time honored traditions, we pulled a lucky someone out of the the
crows for the shirt off my back shot. We decided to have our buddy Dave Hanley come up to show how it's done. Talk about a great sport. We always want it understood
that we don't care about your love handles, fur coats, or kegs ... This
is to show your heart -- And Dave did exactly that. Even more special
was the message he wrote on the shirt he donated. Dave survived cancer and wanted to make sure that the recipient of his shirt knew that you can all overcome obstacles ... 
We finished the presentation and began taking some time to meet and greet as many people as possible. They didthe obligatory BadAss shots for us ... 
And looked good doing it, too!
While we were there, there was campaigning happening for one of the upcoming vote positions. We don't get involved in politics in any way, but yes, we did have fun in both hospitality suites. From where we stand, as far as who will or should win the election? That would be the one that you all vote for -- They BOTH seemed very nice, and had a lot of support. So basically, it's all good!
We honored Rayanne
for her part in arranging this vist by presenting her with our official Jensen Lee Team Canada bag. (And yes, you will be able to get both the Team Canada & Team America bags in the near future -- Thank you Jensen Lee!) *These are the official bags of HeroToHer.US, and they come in every size from a mini-duffle, all the way up to a bunker bag. A lot of the Honor Guard teams, including Tacoma Fire HG, have been using these along with us for several years now. We travel with them every tour, and they hold up great!
We want to thank everyone involved in having us at the convention.
A very special thanks to Adele & all involved in getting us our room for the night. It was perfect, and we appreciate your generosity so much. We would also re-visit the Blue Mountain Resort, what a beautiful locale.
We got to meet some really good folks, with outstanding hearts. We hope to stay in touch, and perhaps visit them again in the future.
Remember, we will do this every year til they all come home. So keep those shirts coming! And be sure to let your American counterparts know that they need to get Pledged up this year!
Thanks Fred, Rayanne, Adele, Paul, and everyone involved in our great trip to the OPFFA Convention 2008!
lj
6-7-08 -- POINT EDWARD -- More proof that cough meds and computers don't mix!
My apologies. Please do not interpret this in any way as anything other than a miss from trying to get all of these photos edited and loaded in record time.
WE LOVE POINT EDWARD!!! Enough to remove the "S" from their name. (Sorry, inside joke) Appropriate though to have all the jokes among us, as this visit is almost always filled with laughter.
This was such a cool stop. There are always fun & silly things we do with them, but this one had extra special moments that few of us will forget.
First thing that caught us off guard was the tribute wall inside their house honoring the HeroToHero.US effort. 
We were all shocked and amazed to see the work they had put in to frame and hang items we have shared with them. Below the framed pieces are a small shelf with the kneeling 9-11 firefighter ... it really touched our hearts.
This was the first of the repeat stops for us, and the Core Team had heard so much about them that this was a highly anticipated stop. Heck, they knew who Ron Sparling was without being introduced! Hmmm, something else I noticed is that Ron got by pretty unscathed as far as getting caught by the cameras this year. We won't let that happen again! Even John Surins was low-key on film this time. Note to team: We have two marked men for next year!
My young hero stepped up again for the now traditional shirt removal -- 
this is the only stop where the request is that I actually take the shirt off of him. He is a crack up and a great sport, though we had to wonder how many push ups he might have gotten for lifting the Chief. Guess it was just playful payback for the Chief sitting on his back during the push up contest. By the way, these guys have some upper body strength! They hung in there for a good long time!
This stop had more emotion packed into it than our previous visit. The guys had chosen a couple videos to share with us about the experience for their Canadian troops, and dealing with their losses. It was insightful, and painful to watch, and sniffles coud be heard from several areas of the darkened room. I've been asked a couple times if it was okay, or too far. Reality is that it is a painful situation, and one no one wants to see. But it is the reality of families all over Canada, and America. We have lost so many wonderful men & women. Every new face added to the photos of the Fallen is another stab to the soul. There were tears ... there will be more tears until this is over. Don't turn away. Watch through your tears, and be there for the families whose tears do not dry. You guys did nothing wrong, you reminded us all of why we do this.
We then brought the room back up through shared memories and presentations to and from all of us. We gave them our yearbook from last year, and a calendar designed especially for them. They will be Point EdwardS for a year now. hehe
Afterward we went out for a great spread of food and fun. The firefighters made our Air Force Loadmaster, Shannon Spencer feel VERY special when they completely cleaned & serviced her car. 
Of course then they "public domained" her when they found an unattended director's coin. She handled it pretty well as it was not hers, but a coin she was delivering to a troop who had stepped up for the program. Guess the guy will have to come to Point Edward to get his coin -- could be worse! ( ; She must still love them as she was more than happy to place her unit sticker on their rig. Niiiice!
One of the more special moments was the reuniting of two far placed heroes. Chani came in all excited and said we had to hear something amazing, so we called everyone back in. Who could imagine that Larry would meet the very medic who had shielded his body with his own during a most dramatic emergency air lift after he had been blown up in the Mosul Dining Hall bombing!
Chani couldn't quit crying and when she hugged the man who helped save her hubby's life, I didn't think she would let go. Per his request we are not identifying him as he is still in the military, but they've both added the name "Super" to his first name and both are so happy for this unbelievable connection.
Not that we could top that one, but the day went on. and so it was that the push up challenge was issued and accepted ... Even 
Brad got into the act, although he didn't stay long. Gotta give him kudos for the effort ... hmmm, didn't see Kevin down there with him. Neener!
And then we decided to re-create the bunker challenge that Bo did at the PackOut a year ago. So we had Larry, Chani & Leta assume the position, and the bunker gear was laid out in front of them. Despite some challenges, we have to confirm that Leta won. 
Not that she would gloat to her brother and sister-in-law, no, not her. Actually she jumped and bounced around with a glee we had never seen from her before. It was great, but I think Chani wants a rematch.
We had a wonderful time with Point Edward and hope they will forgive me the slip, but hey, it just keeps them up toward the top of the posts longer, right?
Thank you all for another wonderful visit. Thank you for the coat, I will definitely wear it with honor! And Mr Sparling, thank you sooooooo much for a very special night -- We really enjoyed the light show you arranged to top it all off!
lj
