City, Maps, and Contact Info

Date

Rally Points, Activities, and Teddy Bear Drop-off Locations

San Diego, CA

Jenny Winburn or 

NY Myke

858-616-6999 or 888-8-cycles

26-Oct-2001

Join the kick-off rally at Harley Davidson of San Diego, 5600 Kearny Mesa Road, San Diego, CA.  Hosted by The Roger Hedgecock Show, KOGO AM 600, and New York Mike.  Join us for food, music, and fun.  Bring your teddy bears and a donation to the scholarship fund.

Jenny Winburn or 

NY Myke

858-616-6999 or 888-8-cycles

Special thanks to Jerry Fox of San Diego who donated the use of his beautiful 20' trailer so that we could haul the teddy bears to the children in New York.  Thanks Jerry!

Also, many thanks to the Escondido and San Diego Police Departments for your great send off and escort through the traffic.  What a way to start the trip!

Escondido, CA

Coach Snyder

760-737-3154

27-Oct-2001

Our rally point is at the Escondido Charter High School at 1845 East Valley Parkway.  Come drop off your bear, but be sure to attach a note of encouragement!   Please join us for the ride to the Riverside Rally. 

Riverside, CA  

Chuck Hiroto

909-788-7200

27-Oct-2001

Our Riverside rally and teddy bear drop-off point is at Riverside Poly High School, located at 5460 Victoria Avenue.  Please join the people of Riverside as they load up their bears.  Consider joining us for the next leg of the American Freedom Ride.  Next stop...Las Vegas!  Special thanks to the Riverside City police and fire departments, the San Bernardino and Riverside Sheriff Departments, and the California Highway Patrol for joining us for the ride across California.  We will convey your thoughts to the families of those heroes in New York who fell that day, doing what you do for us every day.  God Bless you guys!

Las Vegas, NV

27-Oct-2001

Stop in at the Harley Davidson Cafe to greet the riders, make a donation of a teddy bear or to the scholarship fund, and sign the truck.  If you miss us at the Harley Davidson Cafe, catch us at the Harley Davidson Dealer on Eastern Avenue for a morning send off.  Remember to bring your teddy bear and thanks to the officers from the Nevada Highway Patrol for escorting the bears and riders through your state.

Kingman, AZ

28-Oct-2001

The ride through the Kingman area went off without a hitch.  Thanks to those who rode along and for the Nevada Highway Patrol for arranging for our permission to cross the Hoover Dam.  Thank you Trooper Olschlager!

Phoenix, AZ

28-Oct-2001

We apologize to the people of Phoenix and the department personnel who anticipated riding with the Teddy Bears.  Our Harley broke down about 10 miles out of Wickenburg, AZ and the ride was delayed for several hours.  I am afraid we had to pass through Phoenix in the cover of night once all of the problems were resolved.  Thank you Arizona Automobile Club!

Tucson, AZ

29-Oct-2001

Join us to the Rally in Tucson at 8:00 AM.  We will be meeting at the Tucson Harley Davidson and leaving for New Mexico from there.  Please plan to join us for some or all of today's ride.  Special thanks to Nyle & Sarie Groth and Teresa Bolinski for helping with arrangements in Tucson and for providing a place to crash for the night.

Las Cruces, NM

29-Oct-2001

Join the riders as they depart the city via I10 (at 9:00 AM) on their way to San Antonio, TX.  A special thanks to Captain Don Morrison of the New Mexico State Police for arranging that the teddy bears receive an escort for their entire route across New Mexico.

The riders were met at the Texas border by the Texas State Troopers and escorted into El Paso where the El Paso Police Department escorted them through the city.  Special thanks to the officers and troopers in West Texas who have joined the ride and for the fire fighters who came out to sign the truck.

Lubbock, TX  

30-Oct-2001

31-Oct-2001

Thanks to Station 12 of the Lubbock Fire Department for your help today and to Pollard Friendly Ford for repairing the truck - at their cost - so that the teddy bears can go on.  

Are you thinking of buying a car or truck? DRIVE TO LUBBOCK and give Pollard Friendly Ford a real thank you on our behalf?

Amarillo, TX

31-Oct-2001

1-Nov-2001

Wednesday: The riders met-up with the Flag Across America in Amarillo late tonight,  encouraging them in their efforts.  Amarillo residents came out in great numbers at nearly midnight to greet the flag runners and sign the American Freedom Truck as these two crusades crossed paths. 

Thursday: The caravan stopped in Wichita Falls before dropping down into the Dallas area.  We visited various fire stations and were provided a law enforcement escort as the caravan on through to Dallas. Are we approaching a record yet for the longest continuous police escort?

Special thanks to the Wichita Falls Fire Department.  We certainly enjoyed meeting all of you and will pass on your thoughts to the families of the fallen firefighters.

Dallas, TX  

1-Nov-2001

2-Nov-2001

Thursday: Come and join us at for our 5:00 PM rally at Harley-Davidson of Dallas, located at 304 Central Expressway, South, in Allen, TX.  Be sure to sign the truck & trailer and send your best wishes to the children.

Riders: Join the ride as the teddy bears and their Texas law enforcement escort come into town.  We will be staging at the Allen Station Park, off of highway 75 at Exchange, at 4:00 PM and joining the caravan as it passes by the park.  

Special thanks to Harley Davidson of Dallas for giving the bike a tune-up and oil change and the the Panther Creek HOG members for coming out for the ride.

Friday: Join us as we ride through Dallas City Center and on to Houston.  We will be staging for today's ride at Harley Davidson of Dallas at 10:00 AM.

Houston, TX

2-Nov-2001

Thank you for Joining us at the welcome rally in the parking lot at the Memorial City Mall. The riders, with their escort by the Houston Police Department, arrived later than scheduled due to a tire blow-out on the trailer, but was met by various law and fire department personnel and their families who signed the truck before it headed out to Galveston for the night.

Remember, you can still contribute to the effort by sending a teddy bear (with note of encouragement attached) to the Raising Hope office or by making a donation to the American Heritage Education Foundation.

Special thanks to Police Chief C. O. Bradford of the Houston Police Department for arranging the escort through the city of Houston, the Dallas Fire Department, and the surrounding county Sheriff departments..

Baton Rouge, LA

3-Nov-2001

Please, grab the kids and join on the road.  You can contribute to the effort by bringing a teddy bear (with note of encouragement attached), make a donation for the American Heritage Education Foundation, or provide a gift of "gas money" to keep the caravan moving forward.

Jackson, MS

3-Nov-2001

Look for us this evening as we pass through town, making stops at the local fire department stations and collecting signatures from the local fire firefighters and law enforcement officers.

Nashville, TN

4-Nov-2001

5-Nov-2001

The truck and Harley spent the evening at the Hard Rock Cafe in Nashville where the people of the city came by to wish Cindy and Neil God's Speed on their mission on behalf of our nations children.  A special thanks to the Hard Rock Cafe for providing Cindy's birthday dinner tonight!

Special thanks to the Deputy Sheriffs of Tennessee who provided the escort through Tennessee and to the Nashville City Fire Department personnel who came out to sign the truck.

Come on out to Boswell's Harley Davidson at 401 Fessler's Lane in Nashville.  We will be there collecting teddy bears between 8:00 - 10:00 AM before we head off to Chattanooga and on to Atlanta.

Chattanooga, TN

5-Nov-2001

Look for us this evening as we pass through town, making stops at the local fire department stations and collecting signatures from the local fire firefighters and law enforcement officers.  Thanks again to the Sheriff's Deputies who provided our escort through Tennessee.

Atlanta, GA

5-Nov-2001  

6-Nov-2001

Come on out and join us at the Hard Rock Cafe tonight from 8:00 - 10:00 PM.  The address is 215 Peachtree Street NE.  Remember to bring a teddy bear with you for the kids in the New York and Washington, DC areas.

We will be gathering this morning at the Harley Davidson of Atlanta between 9:00 - 11:00 AM, collecting teddy bears, signatures, and donations for the American Freedom Ride Scholarship Fund. 

Columbia, SC

6-Nov-2001

Look for us this evening as we arrive in town, making stops at the local fire department stations and collecting signatures from the local fire firefighters and law enforcement officers.  Our thanks to the Sheriff's Deputies who provided our escort through South Carolina.

Richmond, VA

7-Nov-2001

We will be making stops throughout North Carolina and Virginia at the local fire stations and police departments to collect signatures from the local fire firefighters and law enforcement officers.  Our thanks to the Deputies and state troopers who provided our escort through these states.

Join the riders and the truck at fire stations throughout the city.  Listen to your radio for announcements regarding times and locations throughout Richmond.

8-Nov-2001

Washington, DC

9-Nov-2001

What an amazing day.  Special thanks to the Hard Rock Cafe for allowing us to park the truck and trailer in front of their front door.  Thanks also to the engine companies who made it over to sign the truck.  Your words of encouragement mean so much.

Arlington, VA

9-Nov-2001

Thanks to Sgt. Williams of the Arlington County Fire Department who rallied a group of fire fighters and police officers to meet us at Station No. 4.  

Also, a special thanks to the officers who escorted us to outside the Pentagon, your assistance in getting us to the building was very special to us.  I don't think any of us completely appreciated the scope of the events that took place there until we saw it with out own eyes and listened to you tell about your experience there that day. 

We are also grateful for the officers who agreed to receive the teddy bears on behalf of the children of the victims of the pentagon attack.    Please contact Raising Hope or the Arlington Police Department if you want to know more about how to arrange for an affected child to receive a bear.

Collingswood, NJ

Philadelphia, PA

10-Nov-2001

12:00 Noon

4:30  PM

Great thanks to the City of Collingswood, NJ who gave us a special day in the center of the town.  We enjoyed special music, a welcome speech from the mayor and a huge "code 3" send off by the Collingswood Police and Fire Departments that rivaled any "big city" on our route.  Be proud Collingswood!  A special Thanks to Karen Ammond of KBC Media who has been instrumental in helping us get these bears to New York.  It has been a long journey and we couldn't have done this without your help and encouragement.

A huge gratitude of thanks to the Police and Fire Departments of Philadelphia for opening their doors to us as we came through the city.  You made our last day before entering New York so special.  We were looking forward to an all night bear packing party back at the hotel when the guys at Rescue 1 called in their buddies to help.  We now know why they call them Rescue 1.  Special thanks to Sgt. Al Lopez who treated us to Philly Steak sandwiches while we got ready to finish packing up the bears.

Camden, NJ

11-Nov-2001

8:00 AM

The caravan left Harley Davidson of Camden at 8:00 AM and began the ride into New York city.  

  New York City, NY

11-Nov-2001

 Noon - 2:00PM

2:30 PM

3:00 - 6:00 PM

A special thanks to Michelle and John at Hogs and Heifers Saloon and to all of the riders who participated in today's ride.  We thoroughly enjoyed the BBQ and time with your patrons this afternoon.  What a great time.

The teddy bears were then escorted by NYPD to a number of fire houses in the city.  Due to the presences of the President of the United States and a fire in uptown Manhattan, we were not able to get to all of the fire stations.  We also did not get the opportunity to give President Bush the Teddy Bear the children had sent to him.  However, at those stations where we were able to stop, we paused to distribute bears, have the fire fighters view and sign the truck, and listen to the fire fighters share their experiences from that terrible day.  God Bless you guys.  A special thanks to Patrick Cleary for helping to arrange our visit and for assisting us in selecting the stations to be visited today.