Good morning everyone,
First off, I have to repeat myself and once again say how overwhelmed and touched I am by the amazing generosity everyone has exhibited. Thank you all so much. Pinkie saw the thread and immediately came to tears reading it. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Yesterday, naitram asked me if I had contacted Whelen directly. I hadn't, but did so. I got in touch with Anne Niles, head of Corporate Marketing. She wrote me back very quickly and said she can only do stuff on a national level and suggest I contact the regional rep for the SE. She said they should be able to help me out. Anne also told me she is also a cancer survivor. Damn, this crap is EVERYWHERE!!!!!
I will be speaking with the local rep today. I have also been in contact with FL rep for ChiefSupply.com, in Tampa. He was super nice and we traded emails back and forth yesterday. He said we should be able to do something at a good discount, so I've got that going for me.
Right now, I'm swamped with getting ready to leave at AJ:30 tomorrow, heading for Tampa to do the Tampa Bay 3-Day walk this weekend. After this one, I'm done for the year. I won't be doing anymore walks until Spring rolls around and we start doing the preliminary stuff getting fired up for next Summer's walks. I will have time to relax and do this right between now and then.
So, where does that leave this? First, I'm going to work with Whelen directly to see what they can do. Then I'll go the discounted route and if necessary, take you up on your generous offers.
I did not intend for you all to buy these for me and it feels really weird to me accepting your money. I understand wanting to help, but I've always been fortunate enough to be the one helping. This is new territory for me and I'm not comfortable with it.
My goal is to get everything donated. I have also contacted the LEO that I bought my first FLHTC from to see if the local PD would donate to the cause.
So where are we on this? There are four members that have each offered one light. Thank you so much. There has also been one very generous member who, in private, has pledged four lights. That makes for a total of eight. I can't say thank you enough, although I'm trying.
I'm not ready to accept anything from you yet, so please accept my sincere thanks and lets see how this plays out in the next several weeks. I hope to have it all figured out before our little soiree in N. GA. I'll be buying some beer, that's for sure.
Thank you all again,
Chief
