THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE APPEARED IN THE WIND & FIRE MC NEWSLETTER
Wind & Fire Motorcycle Club Dallas Firefighters Chapter #8
Reporting lots of meetings, rides, lunch now and then and our neat website to stay in touch on rallies and rides coming up. All in all, we have had a good first half of 2009.
Dallas played host to Rocky Mountain Chapter members traveling to the Eastern Rally. Eric Sondeen, Mike Schanberger and Ron Bristow stayed with Gary & Mindy. Walt Salazar and Trish Pedroza stayed with James & Kathy Bates. Then we hit the road for Florida with the RV’s backing up the motorcyclers. We made a great stop at the USS Alabama for a tour and pictures. At New Smyrna Beach we had a fun time seeing old friends especially Bill Jones from Flyway Chapter in Iron Ridge WI. and Bill Delapp from Oswego, NY. James & Kathy and Gary & Mindy really enjoyed riding our bikes on the beach! It was a great trip.
For our 7th Burn Camp Run we had over 150 bikes sign in and over $30,000 was collected for our kids to attend Parkland Foundation Burn Camp I-Thonka-Chi at Camp John Marc. Chapters #8 and #58 members outdid themselves to make another successful run and parade from Willie’s through Dallas to the Copper Spur. Scott Parsley and his overseas firefighter unit supported one child for the burn camp and also sent five great t-shirts from Saudi Arabia for silent auction. Many members sponsored individual campers. Claude and Cindy Bullard set-up all the door prizes and monitored the silent auction. Claude almost outbid Judy Pharr for one. Everyone pitched in to man the sign up tables and poker runs at sponsor locations. Thanks again to the Dallas Derby Devils for all their smiles and support. Club Treasurers, Bebo and Bones, counted every penny earmarked to help burned kids. This is what the hard work is all about!!
We were proud to have Int’l Vice President John Bergstrom and Board members Ron Hyde, Gary Lovell and Bruce Reibly make the run again and enjoyed their camaraderie. Richard Jolly, Chapter #8 President, and Rebel Burkhalter, Chapter #58 President, finished the rally with a great auction. Thanks to the Dallas Fire Department for their key presence for our parade. Thanks to all the local motorcycle clubs and firemen friends for coming to our run, too many to number. Special thanks to the Lone Star, Navarro County, Los Bomberos, Mid-Cities, Heartland Heat and Sierra Nevada WFMC Chapters for putting in the miles.
The Southern Rally: We had a wild meet and greet at Cheers on 6th Street in Austin with “Hideous” shooters, then some of the gals made their way to Jackalopes. Karl & Charlotte Shaffler from Houston set-up two “Helldorados” for our annual challenge. We forgot who were challenging so just drank them anyway. It was a multi-chapter challenge, including Marge from Illinois. We really missed the California girls. (not)
Once again, Dallas hosted the Colorado guys , this time on their way to Austin for the Southern Rally. Mike, Ron, Walt and Trish made the ride to the Parkland Burn Camp in Meridian on Wednesday and then Thursday to the second rally of the year. The Lovells and Bates rv’d to Austin with the bikers riding in a heavy rainstorm. Our fourth Colorado biker and good friend, Eric Sondeen, broke down in Roswell NM and couldn’t make it to the Burn Camp, but he made it to Austin in time for the rally. He brought his side car just for the kids to see, but it wasn’t in the cards. Thanks for the thought tho, Eric. Glad he got to Austin. Heading home, the motorcycle demons caught up with him again in Abilene Tx. Nothing like June in Abilene. Glad to hear he was heading home Tuesday. Riding in Texas is not for wimps.
Chapter 8 had the most Chapter members attending the Southern Rally this year including Richard Jolly, Pat Murphy, Reed Russell, Robert & Diane Russ, Bebo & Judy Pharr, Gary & Mindy Lovell, Bo & Linda Culp, Gary Freeman & Luree, David & Debbie Smith, Charlie & Laura Contreras, Rick & Shelley Gaddis, Lucio Gonzales and James Bates. We sorely missed Hoyt Hubbell and Jimmy Phillips, who were tending ills at home. Jolly reports that the river tubing was a blast!
Saturday night, Ron & Mike from Colorado rode out to Bastrop where a bunch of Dallas members were Rving, for a little get-together. Bo & Linda Culp furnished a brisket and chicken dinner, complemented by Kathy’s home grown green beans, Mindy’s dirty rice and Linda’s banana-pineapple pudding. Judy, Luree and Shelley did all the set-ups and we sat around talking for hours. No tornados or storms that night, but we had all enjoyed the lightning show from a distance for a couple of nights before.
All the Texas guys and gals made it home safe and now we are getting ready for the next half of 2009: The Western Rally in Hollister CA July 4th , The National Rally in Hill City SD August 4th , the Dallas Chapter fundraiser for Dave Barr’s Honor Run August 13th , A 60th Birthday Bash, Southern Junction in September, Ride to Remember in Colorado Springs September 19th , The Boo Benefit Run, East Texas in October 9th , Toy Runs in November and December…including The Navarro County Toy Run in Corsicana and the Ellis County Toy Run in Ennis. Then we support the Retired NFL Players Association house and The Family Place, a battered women’s shelter in Dallas. Lastly.. Christmas at the Bullard Party Barn(?). We’ll try to have a few meetings and drink a few beers, too.__________ GOD BLESS TEXAS….See ya on the road, Mindy.