PGR_NTX Patriot Guard Snowball Express - Nuts and Bolts

[Mission Information For North Texas PGR]

Ladies and Gentlemen,

 

Some Snowball Express nuts and bolts of how this whole thing is going to
operate.

 

Starting on airport arrival day, December 9, there will be at least one
Snowball Express event every day including airport departure day on December
13.  On some days, there will be many events for the attendees to
participate in.  The Patriot Guard Riders will be escorting the attendees
(the kids and parent/guardian[s]) to and usually from many of these events
on a DAILY basis, including airport arrivals and departures.  These escorts
will be leaving, as a general rule, from 10 hotels in the downtown Dallas
area, all at the same time.  That means 10 separate missions, all led by a
Ride Captain, each one escorting anywhere between 2 and 15 busses, going to
a common destination.  Law enforcement is scheduled to accompany every
mission.  Law enforcement has briefed us that so far, they have no intention
of stopping traffic and running red lights for us.  All traffic rules will
be obeyed.  This is not a funeral, an emergency situation or any other event
that would require traffic to be interrupted.  They will block intersections
as we turn into a venue, for example, but that's about it.  This policy is
always flexible and the officers have discretion to do whatever is necessary
to maintain order and the safety of the public, but that is the word we have
right now.

 

In order to make sure we have this many venues covered adequately with
riders, there is no way to keep up with this than to have riders either show
up at a common location about 3 hours before the escorts begin and assign
them to the various venues, or have the riders sign up ahead of time for
where they would prefer to go.  We thought that the way to give the riders
the most freedom was to let each rider choose.  That being said, if we see
that 1 rider is signed up for one hotel and 15 are signed up for another
hotel, you will understand our need to shuffle some riders to even it out.
We should always remember that these trips are for the kids.  The kids love
to see the bikes and we want to make a good showing every time the bikes are
scheduled somewhere to put as many smiles on as many faces as we can.

 

If all goes according to plan, before the end of this weekend the sign-up
process can begin for at least the first two days of the Snowball Express
event.  These days are the airport arrivals and the first day's excursion
for the attendees.  Notice of the sign-up process, including a link to the
form(s), will be sent in an e-mail like this one and notice will also be on
the North Texas PGR web site (www.txpgr.org) with a link there to the
form(s) as well.  The sign-up process is in the form of a very brief
question and answer survey.  There are about 8 questions on each.  Questions
are those like.your name, your e-mail address, which hotel do you want to go
to, are you available for the whole mission, etc.  There is nothing probing,
personal or unrelated to the event.  Some of the questions are mandatory and
if they are not answered, you will be prompted for an answer.  You WILL be
able to go back in and change your answers until sometime between 24-48
hours prior to the event.  At that time we will close the form and start
analyzing the information so we can see who is doing what.  Please do
everybody a favor.  If, at that late date, you have committed yourself to
being someplace - be there.  We are counting on you and the kids are
counting on you.

 

Let's think a little about this task for just a moment.  We are leaving from
10 hotels.  If we have 10 riders - a nice number - at each hotel, each day,
that's 100 riders and 10 Ride Captains just to start with.  That's a pretty
good number of people and that's just us.

 

We will be escorting approximately 43 busses per movement, containing (and
we have various types and capacities of busses) in the neighborhood of 1700
Snowball Express attendees and a number of volunteers on top of that number.
I would wager that none of us have ever moved that many people at just about
any escort we've done - and we're going to be moving that many people quite
a few times.

 

It's a big, big job.  We must all be very careful and very attentive to what
we are doing.  It's the kids who are supposed to be having the fun; we must
be there to work and be safe at all times.

 

The Ride Captains are in total control of the PGR people and everyone riding
with us at all times.  Nobody should be going to Snowball Express people
except the Ride Captains.  This is the first time that Snowball Express has
been in Dallas and they will be very busy.  They are expecting us to know
what we're doing.  We do.  When the Ride Captain says to be on the bikes and
ready to go in 5 minutes, the Ride Captain does NOT mean 6 minutes.  There
is going to be a Snowball Express person at the hotel who will know when all
of the busses are loaded with all who are going to go and that person will
give the bus drivers, LEO and the Ride Captain the sign to move out.  At
that time - it will do just that.  If you aren't there it will go without
you and if your bike is in the way it may be a casualty.  There are simply
things we are not in charge of and this event is bigger than us and is not
FOR us.  Show up ready, properly dressed, bike gassed up, in the right place
and with your head on straight.  If you are not, the Ride Captain has the
authority to send you packing.  I know it may sound silly to say this, but
anyone who, for any reason, is not ready to go in the judgment of the Ride
Captain will not be allowed to go.  Alcohol, drugs, prescription meds that
cause a problem, bike not safe, you name it - if the Ride Captain says you
stay behind, you stay behind.  Anyone who does not obey the instructions of
the Ride Captain regarding ride safety, the way the ride will be conducted,
etc., will not be allowed to continue with Snowball Express.   Nobody's
going to look for any trouble, but we will maintain a tight ship during
these movements.  It must be that way for the safety of everyone, not just
the riders.  Deputy State Captain Mike Lambert, Assistant Deputy State
Captain Dewey Dyer and I will be moving as best we can between all locations
to help.  We are there to help.  We all want all of these missions to be
successful and we are dedicated to doing our best to see them be that way.
We will back up the Ride Captains in their decisions.  We will be in almost
constant communication with them to keep them up to date on changes of
plans, etc.

 

In a nutshell, here is what is planned for the days:

 

On December 9, we will be running escorts of about 4 busses at a time from
DFW airport to the various hotels.  We will all stage in one area with the
busses.  We get called up to the terminal and some of the riders will move
up with the busses.  When those busses are loaded, off we go.  When the
riders get to the first hotel, they will turn around at that point and head
back to the airport and return to the staging area.  While they are on their
escort, more escorts will be moving up and doing the same thing.  Once we
get them all to their hotels, we're done.

 

On December 10, we are leaving from all of the 10 hotels (KSU right now
about 9:30AM) for Southfork Ranch.  Once at Southfork we will deposit the
kids there and return to Southfork and take them to the Mesquite Rodeo Arena
where they will all be attending the Rodeo (KSU right now about 3:45PM).
The riders MAY be able to attend the Rodeo also and eat some free BBQ.
Plans are not final on that yet.  The Rodeo should be over at about 8:00 -
8:30PM.  We will NOT be escorting the attendees back to the hotels.

 

On December 11, we are leaving from all of the 10 hotels (KSU right now
about 9:30AM) for Dallas City Hall.  We will have flag lines there while
speeches are being made, etc.  This will be followed by a "Walk of
Gratitude" (foot parade) to the Dallas Convention Center where a full day of
activities, music, etc., is planned for the attendees.  We will provide a
flag line for them to walk through and then bring up the rear with the flags
and go with them to the Convention Center.  Once we get them there, we are
done for the day.  We should be wrapped up before noon.

 

On December 12, we are leaving from all 10 hotels to an as yet undetermined
location for the attendees to have a late breakfast.  KSU tentatively
planned for about 10:00AM.  After the late breakfast/brunch, the busses will
be reloaded and we will take them to a staging area to be determined by the
Dallas Police Department.  Once there, a huge convoy will be assembled and
the entire mass will go in one big procession to Cowboys Stadium.  I don't
know how long a line 43 busses makes but I'll bet it's a long one.  When we
get them to Cowboys Stadium they will all go inside for a full day there.
At a time and location at the stadium yet to be determined, the motorcycles
will line up to ride into the stadium to ring the field prior to the Lt. Dan
Band w/Gary Sinese concert.  We are shooting for 300-500 motorcycles.  Kick
stand pads will be REQUIRED and they will be checked.  The concert will last
about 90 minutes.  Food and beverage will NOT be provided for the riders but
I understand we can bring our own.  Note - if you carry it in - carry it
out.  Leave NOTHING behind.  It is unlikely seating will be provided for the
riders since we are on the field so plan on sitting on the turf or on your
bikes.  This is not definite, but that's what I'm recommending.  At the end
of the concert we will fire up the bikes and ride out before the attendees
leave their seats.  Big flags are encouraged.  U.S. are recommended.

 

Once we get outside we will stage and escort the busses back to the hotels.
Approximately 300 of the attendees will get on busses to go to American
Airlines Center to attend a Mavericks game.  We will escort those busses
(about 8 busses) over there as well.

 

On December 13, we are escorting from the hotels back to DFW airport.  Some
of these flights leave early and the plan is to leave the hotel 3 hours
prior to departure.  So.if a flight departs at 8:00AM (and there are 2),
well, you do the math.  We do runs back and forth to the hotels until we're
done.

 

Are there more details?  Yes.  Many more.  You have many more questions in
your mind right now, such as - where do we stage at the airport, where do we
park at the hotels, what routes are we taking, are cagers going to be
involved, what happens if it rains or snows, can we have greeters at the
hotels so people not in the escorts can participate, what's this I've heard
about credentials and background checks, what if there's a terrorist attack,
can we carry guns/knives, bazookas/nunchucks/throwing stars, can I do donuts
on the 50 yard line because I don't like Jerry Jones, what is the meaning of
life, did Elvis really start this way?

 

We'll be answering most all of these questions and more as the days go on.
Most aren't crucial for right this minute.  The list of the 10 hotels is
already on the web site so you can print that off and look them up.  As far
as staging areas - figure that you'll be staging at the hotel (except the
airport).  The exact location at the hotel itself will be provided very
soon.  Figure on bringing your own food and beverages (non-alcoholic) to
everything unless you hear differently.  We know we're doing flag lines at
city hall so the flag/water truck(s) will be there and the store will be at
several of the locations as well.

 

There is one overriding theme for all of us when it comes to Snowball
Express.  It's very simple and can be on everyone's lips all that week and
as we prepare for this."It's all about the kids".  I have spent a pretty
good bit of time with the board members and organizers of Snowball Express
and I can tell you for a fact that these people are solid gold.  There is
not a one of these people who could care less if they eat or sleep during
this event or the time leading up to it.  They don't care if they have to
come out of their own pockets for things or who they have to lean on to make
sure these kids have a good time.  They have put this together from scratch.
They are the real deal.  If we're standing somewhere thirsty and hot.or
cold.I'll point out to you where the CEO of Snowball Express is right out
there with us.  We are working in this very closely with the Snowball
Express director of ground transportation.  That just makes sense.  You are
liable to see him running between busses or jumping in a van at the last
minute to get somebody someplace and I wouldn't be at all surprised to see
him on the side of the road helping change a tire.  He's a retired Major
General.  These are good folks.  They are in it for one thing.  "It's all
about the kids".

 

I think we can repeat that theme among ourselves and I think we can repeat
that theme among our non-PGR friends and affiliates who will be
participating with us.  When we ask ourselves why we should get up in the
morning and go to Dallas, and ride in the Dallas traffic all over everywhere
when we don't even get to go inside Southfork or something like that we can
just remember that simple theme - "It's all about the kids".  Don't forget
that at their young age, each and every one of them has a mom or a dad who
is not coming home again.ever.  And that mom or that dad died for you and me
and every kid in America.

 

So let's all join in."It's all about the kids".

 

Thanks to you all for everything you continue to do.

 

Steve Lucas

Chief Ride Captain

North Texas PGR 

 
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