I'm sure you remember Hot Rod magazine and you are familiar with its' customer base and target audience. The good folks at Hot Rod host an annual event called the Hot Rod Power Tour where groups of car fanatics gather at a starting city and travel together ( sort of ) to the next city on the stop. I'm told this caravan of cars sometimes numbers in excess of 4,000. It's not a race or a rally, but more of a week long cruise that takes you through seven cities in 5 states. This years tour begins in Newton, Iowa June 5th and ends in Mobile, Al on the 12th. Stops are in Springfield, Effingham and Du Quoin Illinois as well as Bowling Green, Chattanooga, Birmingham and a host of small towns in between. Here's a link to the website for more info - http://www.hotrod.com/2010/powertour/index.html .

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>    Many fire fighters are car enthusiasts and I'm sure there will be a number of IAFF members on this tour. I suspect there will be several 14th district members also, especially since it spends 4 days in Tennessee and Alabama. Would it be possible to post a notice to the members of the Fighting Fourteenth and the IAFF as a whole regarding this tour ? Maybe we could get a headline on the 14th's website and the IAFF's website as well ? There is no one I'd rather caravan with than my brothers and sisters of this great union.

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>    Tracey and I are leaving for Newton, Iowa the morning of June 4th. The cruise leaves Newton the morning of June 6th for the first leg of the tour. Some folks will start at the beginning and make the trip to completion. Those folks are known as "long haulers". Others will jump in and jump out of the cruise after a leg or two and the folks at Hot Rod welcome everyone. If there are any IAFF members who plan on making all or some of the trip, please have them contact me at deanbitner@cox.net or 479-263-3326 and I'll attempt to orchestrate our get togethers along the route.

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>    I appreciate your help in this matter and I look forward to seeing my old friends and making new ones. If you have an opportunity to join us in any of these cities, please do. In the meantime be safe and I'll see you in Orange Beach.

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>    In solidarity, Dean Bitner

>    Vice-President, Arkansas Professional Fire Fighters

>    President, Springdale Fire Fighters ssociation