PGR_NTX Patriot Guard Snowball Express Update

Tue Nov 17 10:44:02 CST 2009

Ladies and Gentlemen,

There have been lots of questions asked about Snowball Express and I thought
I'd try and answer some of them for you here so that everybody has the same
information.

For folks coming in from out of town - There are no special discount plans
at any of the hotels available to us for this event.  For hotel, meals,
etc., we are all on our own.  The hotels that Snowball Express will be using
are all in the downtown Dallas area if anyone is interested in those but we
will have to shop deals individually.

Cagers - You are not being forgotten in all of this.  There will be plenty
for you to do.  For example - on December 9 when all of the airport arrivals
are occurring, it would be fantastic if cagers could be at the various
hotels wearing all your PGR gear to greet the kids when the busses arrive
and welcome them to Dallas.  They will have already had a long day and
seeing those smiling faces ready to help them out will, I'm sure, be a
welcome sight.  That's 9 different hotels so there will be plenty of
opportunities to participate.  And that's just one example.  There will be
plenty for everybody to do.  There will be sign-up for this.

Bad weather - First of all, don't even think about it.  Secondly, we will
just have to make calls on that as we go.  The events will proceed
regardless of the weather, this much we know.  We will not, however, expose
ourselves to a situation that will jeopardize our mission or the safety of
the riders or those we will be escorting.  Best advice is to bring your wet
weather gear and your cold weather gear.  Semper Gumby.

Note:  Some of our riding will be after dark.  Reflective clothing is always
a good idea.  We have reflective belts for sale in our store and they have a
memorial patch affixed to them in memory of our friend and fellow PGR member
Gary Maddux, who was killed in an accident at night on his way home after a
mission last April 1.  We do not have a rule requiring reflective clothing,
but.

Questions have been asked about how the riders will know where to go, who to
report to, etc.  Soon there will be a sign-up mechanism whereby the riders
can choose their preferences on which hotel to report to for the escorts,
what times they are available for the airport escorts, etc.  We did a test
run on this with some of the ride captains over the weekend and it seemed to
work out pretty well.  We're still working out some of the bugs.  There will
be a ride captain with every escort.  Depending on availability, we may be
using some ride captains from other regions as well.  This sign-up mechanism
also allows for you to go back into it and alter your original choices but
there will be a cut off time, probably 24-48 hours prior to the event, where
everything will be locked in and you can make no further changes.  Then, if
one location needs people we can move some folks around.  The riders and
cagers will get to choose where they want to go unless we get to the point
where something isn't covered.then we'll be forced to shuffle things.

Law enforcement help - Snowball Express has been promised all the LEO help
it needs from the Dallas Police Department.  The Dallas PD has been
magnificent with helping the PGR each and every time we have needed it,
without exception.  That being said, moving 3-4 busses each from 9 different
hotels, all at the same time, is going to require a lot of personnel.  I
doubt that they will be able to completely shut down highways, etc.  That
means we will be navigating through Dallas traffic, even though escorted.
Be prepared for this.  We will, in all likelihood, be travelling with other
vehicles in the lanes right next to us and sometimes at highway speeds.

Other safety - There are going to be special rules for this series of
missions.  This is necessary for the safety of the kids.  There will be no
Ft. Hood here if anybody can help it.  No idiot trying to blow up a
skyscraper.  Remember that these are all kids who have lost a military
parent since 9-11.  'Nuff said on that.  Access to the kids and where they
are going and what they are doing will be limited.  Snowball Express has its
own security and credentials are required to go places and do things.  This
is a fact of life.  Nobody is trying to be mean to anybody.  The kids have
to be accounted for at all times.  Access to the kids has to be controlled.
Pedophiles have to be kept out.  Criminals have to be kept out.  You get the
picture.  If you are wearing your PGR gear and are in a place where PGR is
supposed to be then you will at least be recognized as someone associated
with Snowball Express and not someone from the general public snooping
around.  If you're cruising a hotel lobby at midnight in your PGR gear
without any other kind of credentials you might be seen as being out of
place and questioned by someone.  The Snowball Express people are very
excited that the PGR is participating and we have been met with smiles and
open arms at every step along the way.  They are devoted to the safety of
the kids and family members and I, for one, am glad that they are and
support them fully.  I know you do as well.  I know PGR folks.  I know
you'll be looking out for the welfare of these kids, too.  They are our
extended family and there will be kids and other family members present who
we will recognize from standing tall and silent at the services for the
family member that they lost.  We want them to be safe and happy and
carefree on our watch and I know we can be good partners with Snowball
Express and whatever security measures they put in place.

There are volunteer opportunities with Snowball Express.  I do not know the
extent of these opportunities or what the availability is for these events.
All I know is how to access the process.  If you are interested in
volunteering, you go to the Snowball Express web site,
www.snowballexpress.org and register as a volunteer.  There is a text box
that allows you to tell them what you're interested in.  They will get back
with you and if it works out you will have to submit to a background check.
This is because you will be working with children.  The background check
information is submitted on line and will cost you $7.50.  Whether or not
you are subject to having your background checked is entirely up to Snowball
Express.  We're just making this information available to you.  None of the
information will be shared with us.

That's all for now.  More and more will be coming as we get things nailed
down.

Ride Captains - we will be needing you very much during these days.  You are
going to be contacted soon on all of this so please make yourselves as
available as you possibly can.  Your experience and expertise in really
going to come into play.

Thanks everyone.

Steve Lucas

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