Two 9-11 Memorial Rides held over the weekend in Vermilion County remembered the nearly 3,000 people who died in the attack on America twenty years ago. About 200 people – mostly motorcyclists and their passengers – participated Sunday in a ride that was sponsored by the I & I Firefighters Association. Gary Wright, past president of the Association, explained where the proceeds from the ride goes…
{AUDIO: ”It goes into the Fallen Firefighters Fund. If a member of a department that belongs to the I & I is off work for anything – has major medical – we’ll give ’em a little bit of a donation to try to help them out.”}
Wright (shown here) explained other things the I & I Firefighters Association does…
{AUDIO: ”It was started, I believe, back in the seventies. Every (fire) department in Vermilion County belongs to it. We put this on once a year. We have a Safe House that departments can use for fire prevention. We have an investigations unit that belongs to that. We’ll go out and do investigations for fire departments if they find the need.”}
(Riders prepare to department from Danville’s Village Mall. The ride passed through Rossville, Hoopeston, Paxton, Homer and Tilton. Along the way riders passed the Fallen Police and Firefighters area of Sunset Memorial Park and also drove through the VA Illiana Health Care System in Danville.)
(Former firefighter Chuck Walls presents a check from Saturday’s ride before the start of Sunday’s event.)
Another ride held Saturday raised over $1600 for the I & I Firefighters Association. Chuck Walls, who earlier spent 20 years serving the Lynch Area Fire Protection District, presented that check. He said volunteer fire departments throughout the area are looking for help…
{AUDIO: ”They all need volunteers – everybody’s looking. So if you want to help the communities, or your area, just go knock on the door at the fire departments and they’ll surely gladly give you an application.”}
Walls said just stop by your local fire station anytime you see someone there. They will be glad to give you information about how to join the department.
