Wisconsin is a go!

I received an email from my client in Wisconsin that has confirmed my trip there in September and will allow me to stay the twelve days between the two holidays. This extra time off will allow me the opportunity to meet with one, if not two major manufacturers of fire apparatus during the week that I'm relaxing.

So now, more than ever, we need the grass roots support that I can show to them the interest we have managed to create to support the concept of providing professional firefighting apparatus to Chimp Eden.

I nominate Cozi for Honorary Chief!

Till next time....

Expanding Our Effort

Recently, I have begun using "Facebook" more and more. The primary reason is that I have been able to find numerous friends and associates from college, hobbies, and past employment. So I thought, where better to create a "cause" that could be seen by the whole wide world. Thus was created the, "Help Save "Chimp Eden" From Fire," official cause on Facebook.

To find it and join up, just search causes on Facebook for the name, or send me a note with your email and I'll send you an invitation to join. The goal, of course, is to bring this cause to as many people as possible and rally their support through emails and postings. The more we have, the more "ammunition" I will have for a meeting that is planned for this September with a major apparatus manufacturer.

So c'mon aboard!

SteveG

Your Help Still Needed!!!

As I stated yesterday, I will, hopefully, be making a face-to-face appeal to a major fire apparatus manufacturer, for a professional brush truck for Chimp Eden. What I would like to do is bring anything I can that will help underscore the need for this equipment.

So, here is what I need from loyal show fans, blog readers, etc:

1. I need as many emails and/or blog comments as we can muster. I want to be able to demonstrate to Pierce the amount of support and interest we have in this very important project.

2. If anyone has the episode with the big fire on it, I would respectfully request either a copy of that segment or to let me know if it is available on DVD for me to take with me.

3. If you have any promotional material regarding Chimp Eden itself or the Jane Goodall Institute in general, to please either scan and email me or again, please direct me to where I can get a hold of it.

4. Anything else that you can think of that will help the cause.

5. To please share this message/blog with as many people/fans that care about Chimp Eden and the Institute as we do.

I did receive a kind note from Susan Slotar, the Executive Director of the Institute. She was passing my initial email to her, on to Eugene, so that we will know if there have been any additions to their firefighting capabilities that may not have been publicly acknowledged. So I am awaiting either an email from Eugene or through Susan.

So thank you for your interest and hopefully, your support.

Till next time,

Steve

A long, long time ago...

I apologize to any followers of this blog who were reading it to follow my efforts to secure a real piece of fire apparatus for Chimp Eden. After all the letters were sent and the phone calls were made, all without a single response, I concluded that my effort was a failure.

Thanks to a twist of fate, I may actually have another opportunity to approach one of the major manufacturers this coming fall (in the US). Several years ago, I was retained by a synagogue in Appleton, WI to lead their High Holiday services. I did so for four consecutive years. Located in Appleton, is Pierce Manufacturing, a division of Oshkosh.

There is a ten-day period between the first High Holiday and the second. Usually, I would fly home in-between those days, this not having enough time to make a trip to the factory. However this year, I have decided to stay in the area for the ten days. Additionally, the person who called me for this ear, has a very good friend who, I believe is in management at the facility and who has volunteered to give me a complete tour when I am up there. This will provide me with an opportunity to approach them in person and explain the need.

I have just sent an email to Sue Slotar at the Jane Goodall Preserve where Chimp Eden is located to determine if they have upgraded the fire apparatus since last summer. This way, I can be honest and truthful regarding the need for a new truck.

Again, my sincere apologies for having allowed the blog to languish so long. I will update is between now and then, as necessary.

PLEASE....if you do read the blog, please leave a comment. One of the best tools for me to use in my presentation is support from other viewers, as well.

Till next time...
SteveG

Is That the Bugle Tones of the Cavalry?

I am back home in Coral Springs, FL (northwest of Ft. Lauderdale) after a few days in Key West. Did you know that if you're driving south in the eastern U.S. on I-95, then on to U.S. Route 1, Key West is the southernmost tip you can reach? But I digress...

After our last post earlier this week, I heard from a wonderful lady named Theresa. She is a member of "ChimpNet" which is part of the http://www.chimpeden.com/ web site of the Jane Goodall Institute. Thanks to a

"Google Alert" our blog has come to the attention of the many members of "ChimpNet"

who are getting on board to help our cause. So to Theresa and members of the "ChimpNet"

team, many thanks for your support and your efforts.

If you're just joining us, those efforts are quite clear and concise. We are NOT asking

for money or cash. Rather we are contacting fire apparatus manufacturers and

people of "renown," i.e. Ellen DeGeneres, Oprah, Jay Leno, Gene Simmons, etc.,

asking them too, to write to anyone who can help us procure the donation of one, rather

small, "brush truck" fire apparatus, so that Ms. Goodall, Eugene, Philippe and all the humans,

as well as the chimps and other animals at the Institute stand a chance in beating back

a fire.

I will be adding a few more links later today. Please make sure you write either an email

or a "snail mail" and add your voice to the cause.

Till next time...

SAVE CHIMP EDEN FROM FIRE!: Attention!!#links

SAVE CHIMP EDEN FROM FIRE!: Attention!!#links
http://www.piercemfg.com/Home.html
http://www.e-one.com/
http://www.ferrarafire.com/
http://www.smeal.com/
http://www.fama.org/
http://www.crimson-fire.com/crimson/default.asp
http://www.americanlafrance.com/

Attention!!

It is July 14th and I happen to be on a mini-vacation in Key West, FL. We (my lovely wife & I) were supposed to go fishing this morning, but in Florida, Mother Nature rules all. A brief but powerful rainstorm delayed our departure and then 90 minutes later, a large thunderstorm cell moved in and we headed back to our hotel. (More info about the above will be found at my personal blog, http://greenesaga.blogspot.com/)

Naturally I bought along some reading material, including the latest edition of Firehouse(R) magazine. I've been a long-standing subscriber for almost the entire span since I first joined a volunteer fire department in 1977. When I began this campaign to help Chimp Eden, I emailed a "letter to the Editor" at the magazine. I quickly received a very courteous and professional response that asked me if it could be used editorially. I quickly agreed. Now bear in mind, Firehouse(R) received numerous letters every month and I assume, due to space requirements only prints a very few.

When we returned to the hotel this morning, I grabbed the magazine, plopped myself down into a chair and began to read. There, at the head of the letters column was my story about Chimp Eden and the plea for assistance. So to Firehouse(R) Magazine, its long-time editor, Harvey Eisner (himself, a volunteer firefighter for many years) and to the entire editorial staff at Cygnus Business Publishing, a big thank you for supporting this very important cause.

At this juncture, it appears that I must make one point absolutely clear: We are NOT soliciting, requesting, begging, etc., for ANY donations! DO NOT, I REPEAT, DO NOT ATTEMPT IN ANY WAY TO SEND US MONEY! WE ARE NOT SEEKING PUBLIC FUNDS IN ANY MANNER, FOR THIS PROJECT! Get it?

So, you must be asking yourself, "If he doesn't want money, what does this crazy guy want?"

What I want and desperately need, is your help and assistance. I have written to all the major manufacturers of fire apparatus in the U.S. and in South Africa. And I am sure that most of my emails were met with a quick press of the "delete" key. But there is power in numbers and position (rank).

You do not even have to invest in postage (at least, not yet!). All we are asking for is for you to read through this site and send an email to the various manufacturers listed. Just the fact that Firehouse(R) and Cygnus have provided us with this exposure and wonderful and a great boost to this campaign.

In this age when the average family sees the need for one or both parents to work two jobs just to get by, the price of oil and gas soaring so high that many folks are leaving their "four-wheeler" at home, but many large corporations are making unheard of billions of dollars in profits, it's time to put some of those profits to better use than lining pockets. What better way than to truly live up to the standards advertised in every edition of "Firehouse(R) and every other industry magazine, and help this campaign provide a small, yet effective, brush truck that will save lives and property for many, who have no way of saving themselves.

A year ago, fans of the television show, "JERICHO" were so outraged that the show was canceled after just one season, without any resolution, that they organized a massive online campaign and sent over FOUR TONS of peanuts to the CBS offices in New York and Hollywood (most of which were donated to our brave men and women fighting overseas).

Now, I am not asking you to bombard these vehicle manufacturers with old boots, hose and turnout gear. I AM asking you to invest a few minutes to learn all about Chimp Eden and the TV show, "Escape to Chimp Eden(R)" on Discovery's Animal Planet (http://animal.discovery.com/tv/chimp-eden/chimp-eden.html), write some emails to the manufacturers and talk it up with your family and friends.

Once you learn about The Jane Goodall Institute and Chimp Eden and watch a few episodes of the show (Animal Planet posts a TV schedule on the website), you too will want to join this very important effort. Listen, we're the crazy ones, right? We run in when everybody else is running out. Once on scene, we do everything possible to save lives and property, often with the ultimate cost. This is your chance to perform those same tasks without taking a step close to any fire emergency. Please remember that we're not talking about just saving the lives of the chimps, but also of the many people who live in and work at the Institute, as well as countless other wildlife that has been brought to the Sanctuary for various reasons.

Listen, I know, because I've been there. Then men and women of the fire/rescue service of every single country are some of the best people in the world. When someone needs help, we show up. We fix, we repair, we replace, we install, we comfort, we cry, we laugh, we care.

Please, please, help us now. I'm sounding your pager; I'm ringing your alarm bell. I'm toning your alerts. It's time to respond. Together. Thank you.