Ruby Tuesday "Give Back" Event This Friday!

A reminder to all of our friends and supporters that the Ruby Tuesday's Restaurant on Savannah Highway will be having their "Give Back" promotion this Friday, August 31, from 11:00 a.m until 11:00 p.m., to benefit the "Big John" project. Ruby's will give back 20% of their food sales to our project all day long! You must have the "Give Back" flyer to present to your server with your check and you can cut, paste, and print it here. The restaurant will also have flyers on hand for those who are unable to print one. The "Big John" truck will be on display all day long. Please come out and share your message on the truck for a friend or family member who has been touched by cancer.

Help for the Horses!

Today, we participated in the Steel Pony Car Show at the Charleston Tea Plantation on Wadmalaw Island to benefit the LEARN Horse Rescue organization. There was a ton of great cars, trucks, and motorcycles, good food and great music. "Big John" and "Bullet" both took home trophies and all in attendance raised a bunch of money for LEARN. All in all, a fantastic day!

Getting to the Finishing Touches!

Today we picked up "Big John" from our friends at Bendt Brothers Upholstery West of the Ashley where they have created a real work of art with canvas. The selection of colors, the embroidery work, and the workmanship in the design and stit

ching really make this hose bed cover a great addition to the theme of the truck. Special thanks to Mr. Jim Hayes and his crew for their commitment to the project and for the donation of this cover. We are proud to show off their work for all to see. Jim said it best today when he spoke of Chief Winn as his friend and his feeling that this truck was truly a community effort. He is so right as this project could not have come together without every one of our friends who have helped us make it a reality.

Big John Event This Saturday!

Get ready for the weekend and the "Big John" event where we will get together to remember the life and legend of Chief John Winn. The event begins at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday at the Elks Lodge on Sam Rittenberg Blvd. with music by "Plane Jane"

, BBQ by Frank Marvin and cash bars provided by the Elks. The "Big John" Fire Truck will be there as we continue to move forward with Chief Winn's mission and dream of taking better care of our own.

We will be there, rain or shine, with plenty of covered outside area and ceiling fans along with an inside air-conditioned banquet room.

We will also be taking pre-orders for our new "Big John" t-shirts to be printed next week. We hope to see all of you there!

"Big John" Gets a New Pair of "Shoes"!

We have been blessed during the “Big John” story to have many folks who supported the cause by contributing their time, money, and support and today we wrote another chapter to the story. The Salisbury, North Carolina Fire Department recently donated two new much needed tires for the front end of the truck. We took a road trip to Salisbury today to pick them up and were able to spend a few hours visiting with our friends. Chief Winn held our Salisbury brothers and sisters very close after he traveled with our Team to train with the SFD as they formed their Peer Team there last year. We extend a heartfelt thanks to all of them for their contribution as we now will be able to have their spirit roll down the road with us with “Big John”!

Just to Be Like Dad!

As I looked through our old posts this morning, I came across the following that was originally posted in August, 2009.  I realized that the thoughts expressed in it are really timeless:  

CFD Firefighter Kevin Pool & his son, Keaton

Today, as I watched our new recruits graduate and become members of the department, I reflected on when I first received my badge as a firefighter. It was January, 1967 and I was as excited as I had ever been in my life. I was fortunate to have grown up as a fire department kid with a Dad that had always been a dedicated member of the Fire Service and a hero to me. I was much like most boys, who want to be like their fathers and my entry into the fire department was my first chance to live that dream. As I looked around the auditorium today, I saw many men who have also lived that dream and followed their dads into the proudest and most honorable profession known to man. Many of us have been further blessed to have had our own sons or daughters follow us into the fire department and that, my friends, may be the ultimate accomplishment of our careers. 

Another thought that came to mind today was the camaraderie of the new recruits and again I was reminded of the old friendships that were represented in the crowd today. Many of us there began our careers together and even though some of us worked in different departments, we are all close friends who have always shared the love of the job. I thank all of those people, and they know who they are, for all that they have done for me over the years. I can only hope that our new recruits will have long and safe careers filled with exciting times, good friends and loving families, just as we all shared today.

Stay safe, my friends,

Gerald

Steel Pony Charity Ride and Car Show Coming Soon!

On Sunday, August 26, the Steel Pony Charity Ride and Car Show will be held at the Charleston Tea Plantation on Wadmalaw Island with proceeds benefiting the LEARN Horse Rescue organization.  The ride will begin for riders at the Lowcountry Harley Davidson in North Charleston with registration at 11:00 a.m and kickstands up at 12:30 p.m.  The ride will conclude at the Charleston Tea Plantation with a great car and bike show beginning at 2:00 p.m. 

Visit lowcountryharley.com or learnhorserescue.com for more details and come out and join us for a great afternoon of music and food!  We will have several of our Team's trucks there for the kids and adults to enjoy!

Ruby Tuesday's "Give Back" Program to Benefit the "Big John" Project!

The Ruby Tuesday Restaurant on Savannah Highway near I-526 will host a benefit for the "Big John"  project on three different dates in August and September.  On August 31, September 6, and September 13, they will donate 20% of their food sales to the "Big John" Firefighter Health Awareness Campaign.  In order for us to receive the donations, patrons will be required to present the above flyer to their server. We will be on-site with the "Big John" fire truck and invite all of our friends to bring your family and come out to support Ruby Tuesday's and the "Big John" campaign. You can right-click on the flyer and print it or we will have flyers with us at the event.   

CFD Retirees Mark Your Calendars!

The next meeting of the Charleston Fire Department Retirees' "Hooked Up" program will be held on Thursday, September 13, 2012, beginning at 7:00 p.m., at the Charleston Baptist Church on San Miguel Avenue off of Savage Road, West of the Ashley. Dinner will be served. 

Our new Chief, Karen Brack, will be our guest speaker. Please come to help us welcome Chief Brack to the CFD family. 

We hope to see all of our retirees there!

The "Big John" Benefit Coming August 18th!

The "Big John" Project Benefit is set for Saturday, August 18, beginning at 4:00 p.m., at the Elks Lodge on Sam Rittenberg here in Charleston.  Local phenoms, "Plane Jane" will be rocking the house and BBQ, prepared by the legendary Frank Marvin, will be served. Top that off with a cash bar hosted by the Elks Lodge and it should be a great time for all.    

The "Big John" Project is a Firefighter Health Awareness Campaign started by our beloved Chief John Winn before his passing in May. It was his wish that we continue to promote a campaign to insure that our firefighters get the necessary health screenings to detect life-threatening diseases while they could still be treated successfully. Your support we help in our efforts to carry on his dream. We will have the project's flagship, the "Big John" Mack fire truck, there for all to see. It is an amazing tribute to this great man and we hope you all will come out to join us! 

Tickets can be purchased through PayPal here on this page. 

Welcome to Our New Chief!

We would like to take the opportunity to welcome Chief Karen Brack and her family to our CFD family. Chief Brack officially becomes our new Chief of the Department next Monday. We are excited about her joining us as we move the Charleston Fire Department forward! She brings a great wealth of experience, knowledge and training to us and we are looking forward to the days ahead.