I usually share with you tragedies that our law enforcement, emergency or public service officers face while working on the roadsides of our interstates and highways.  Today I want to share with you a tragedy that occurred in Indiana with the loss of two law enforcement officers.  However, on August 22nd, Lt. Gary Dudley of the Indiana State Police and Retired Chief Gary Martin of Merriville, IN were not killed in the line of duty.  They were not working an accident scene nor were they responding to a call.  Lt. Dudley and Chief Martin were taking part in a charity bike ride to benefit the families of fallen officers.  Lt. Dudley, in fact, organized the annual ride several years ago after his friend Lt. Richard Gaston also of the Indiana State Police was killed in 1999 (struck during traffic stop).  This year, Lt. Dudley carried with him a letter from Gaston’s seven-year-old daughter that he was going to carry to Gaston’s gravesite.  Dudley even had the letter laminated and taped to the back of his shirt.

Members of this year’s ride were into their thirteen days of covering 11,000 miles visiting the gravesites of fallen officers when tragedy struck.  The box van that was following the group with a “CAUTION CYCLISTS AHEAD” sign, was struck from behind and ran into the cyclists killing Lt. Dudley and Chief Martin and injuring others.

One of our members, the wife of an Indiana State Trooper, wrote to me yesterday after attending their funerals.  She said that at one of the services, the wife of another fallen officer said “Talk to the Survivors.”  Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.

As you may have already read, our T-Shirts have arrived! The shirts are white and range in size from S-XXXL and are 50-50 pre-shrunk cotton-poly. Sizes SMALL through XL are $12 and XXL and XXXL shirts will be $14.  Shirts will not be sent out until money is received.

Shipping is as follows:T-Shirts (1-3) $4; (4-6) $6; (7-10) $8.

Our “move over” bumper stickers can be added to your order and they are $2 each.

If you should order more than 10 or a larger quantity and/or you live near Haywood County, please let me know before sending in your check so I can work out shipping with you.

I have attached an order form.  Please send it in with your check.  If we should run out of shirts by the time we receive your check, please allow 4 weeks for shipping.

A special thank you to Jeff Cash and the North Carolina Association of Fire Fighters for their warm welcome to my husband and I at their conference in Greensboro last weekend.  I was given the opportunity to do a workshop on “Educating Your Community about the Move Over Law:  The Life You Save May Be Your Own.”  We had wonderful feedback and a lot of great ideas were shared.  One such idea  came about from firefighters who witness motorists failing to “move over” at an accident scene and coming much too close for comfort.  We would like to develop a postcard that emergency personnel can keep in their vehicles to note the make, model, tag number, time, date, location, etc. of someone not moving over.  This card could then be sent to the Office of the State Fire Marshall.  The OSFM could send a letter to that motorist educating them about the dangers that emergency personnel face while working accident scenes and reminding them to MOVE OVER!  A similar idea has been done in NC for child safety seat violations in conjunction with the Department of Insurance.  Thank you again NCAFF!!!

Please don’t forget about…

The Calvin Taylor Memorial Toy Ride is coming up on September 9th.  Go to calvinetaylortoyride.com for details!!!

I will be at the Stompin’ Grounds in Maggie Valley where the ride ends.  I will have shirts and bumper stickers available there while they last.  I will also have order forms with me should we run out of the size you want.

On September 16th, I will once again join Tim Hayes and Stan Cogdill to do a presentation at Blue Ridge Community College in Hendersonville, NC from 10am-2pm.  If you are in the area, please join us.  Again, shirts and stickers will be available there for purchase otherwise order forms will be available.

As always, be safe and pay attention when you drive.  Our lives depend on it.