Wednesday, 12 Sep 2007

Location: Washington DC, USA

Thanks to over 65 National Camp Team Members -- led by an extraordinary group of Mentors -- we just concluded a very successful GO-FIRST National Camp. The attached pictures are first, the Students in formation after their study visit with a top Navy Medical Corpsman at the Navy Memorial, and second, the officers of the Alexandria Fire Department, who presented a GO-FIRST wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Solider on Sept 11 (with the Students and Mentors flanking them) as our tribute to all lives attacked by evil and terrorism. There are many, many people we will thank in our full report. Captain Rodney Masser and the Alexandria Fire Department Team he led; Embassy Suites Alexandria's GM Mary Anne Russell; SN Andrew Ruga and the men and women from the USCG Honor Guard who joined us in our most full days to serve as Featured Mentors and extra safety and rescue personnel; Jeremy Lockwood from GO-FIRST NZ's East Cape and Sam Plunkett from Hawai`i`s One Blade Ministry; Nashua Boys and Girls Club's Patrick Gill; Chicago's Mike and Sheila Clancy; Rye's Del Record; the Always On the Case Cristian Becker; Sherry Mills -- that's just a start. And thanks also to some who could not join us but made a very positive impact in our prep and solidarity: Vic Maceo and Mary O'Connor and USCG CAPT Don Grant. LSU's Team was really strong and ready to go forward in their state. Lots more thanks to give. Everything we did and everyone involved honored the First National Camp Team of Joe Pecoraro, Ralph Goto, Matt Miller, Vic Maceo, Gretchen Tyson, Dick Miller, The Goto-Town Hawai`i Team of Students, Capt Martinet and MSO Medina, John Mein and Gallaudet's Discovery Program and their pioneering work. Watch for the full report next month, which will feature more great pictures by the AFD's Wilson Wells, a White House photographer by day and an AFD member by night.