Ok, so my sister Kathy has been teaching me about blogging. Now you have to understand she hasn't done it yet either so my 4 fingered attempt to type is the foundation for this experiment.
I'm a member of the Mehlville Lions Club, and so was my son Garrett Dickerson. Last April Garrett left us to spend eternity in heaven. This is how the Fire Truck came to be. One of our club members lost her beloved husband several years ago. David was a member of our club, owned his own business and volunteered at a rural firehouse. This truck was to be set up for Davids final road trip but his angel date prohibited that completion. After Garrett passed Diana entrusted this Old truck to me for our club. I want to restore this truck to be more than a cool relic. It should promote out of the box thinking, multipurpose use, sustainability and support several generations of team work.
What is the truck you ask? It is a 1958 American LaFrance Pumper truck. Having served a long history in Wood River IL. it has been retired as a shell of a truck. The pumps are being used for Fire Training so preservation is not an option. With out the pump we don't need a 500 gallon tank, but a 100 gallon tank wood be nice. The huge void in the truck from these missing parts will become the home of a new BBQ grill and the hydraulics to extend the grill out the side when parked. These hydraulics will also raise a canopy protecting the pit seating in the rear where the tank is now. One the passenger side we are planning an area for beer and soda chillin. The stereo should satisfy even the younger generations with a couple of amps and subs. With a MP3 player hook up we can entertain everyone. This one is for my GREEN friends. How about dual solar panels to charge a bank of batteries providing plenty of power to keep this parade wagon off the electric grid.
This is where the fun comes in. We have to raise enough money to build this truck and get it out in the community. We are going to need help in many ways so I will be updating you on the different ways we will be achieveing that in upcoming posts.
I hope this is fun for all.
