INFINITE FREEP: RALLY TO SUPPORT OUR TROOPS IN BRISTOL CT, APRIL 12 EVENING!!

self | 04/02/03 | RaceBannon

[RaceBannon]

Confirmed! TRIBUTE TO THE TROOPS, a rally-like event, non-political, held to honor all troops overseas and awaiting departure, will be held in Bristol, Ct, on the Boulevard, Rte 72.

[nutmeg]

Please see update in #18... we're meeting around 3PM at a restaurant before the rally.

[nutmeg]

Please see update in #18!

[firebrand]

You sure you want candles and such? It's going to look like a peace vigil. How about spotlighted American flags?

[RaceBannon]

It's an evening rally, but as for candles, that last time they had a prayer rally for 9/11 (4000 people attended!), all the candle wax made a mess on the monuments, so, flashlight vigil and rally!

dinner at 3PM early see posts above!

[firebrand]

Maybe have people shine their flashlights on their flags.

I won't be there, I'm just making suggestions from out of state. (Will be in DC, I hope.)

[RaceBannon]

Last call almost

dinner at 99 Resturant at 3pm

Rally/Tribute at 7 pm

rte 84 to rte 72

go to the end of the highway, through the light, then at the next light, turn right. That is Pine Street

go up 1/2 mile, 99 is on the right.

[nutmeg]

dinner at 99 Resturant at 3pm

We'll be there, but we may not be able to make the restaurant until 4PM or so... I'll update you as we get closer to Saturday.

Thanks for the directions and all the other info!

nutmeg & zelig

[nutmeg]

It's an evening rally, but as for candles, that last time they had a prayer rally for 9/11 (4000 people attended!), all the candle wax made a mess on the monuments, so, flashlight vigil and rally!

4000 people showed up? Wow!

[nutmeg]

I won't be there, I'm just making suggestions from out of state. (Will be in DC, I hope.)

GOOD LUCK in DC on Saturday! :-)

[RaceBannon]

I need a head count for Saturday Lunch!

Expect a $20 per person meal, and that is eating well, there! Food can be much cheaper!

take rte 84

to rte 72 west

at the end of the highway (about 4 miles after you turn off 84). Stop at the light

go to the very next light, turn right

go up 1/2 mile, in the mall on your right, there is a 99 RESTURANT right at the entrance, we are all meeting there at about 3 for late lunch

if you cant make the lunch, (we’ll be there until 5:30 or 6 or so), go straight up that same street (Pine Street) until you see Dunkin Donuts.

At the light at Dunkin, go right, then an immediate left down rte 72 (DO NOT go under the bridge)

Go down the road about 2 miles, stop at the school on the left, you will see what is going on there by then.

[monafelice]

Sorry, we won't be able to make the lunch at '99 - have fun, you guys!

[nutmeg]

I'm afraid we can't make the late lunch at 99 in Bristol at 3PM. We CAN show up at the 99 Restaurant in Bristol at around 5:30-5:45PM (hopefully it won't be mobbed).

I'm sorry if we'll miss you there. We just have too much to do today to make it at 3PM.

We WILL see you at the rally, though, along with our non-FReeper friend who has been accompanying us to the other CT rallies. We'll be bringing our flashlights and flags.

Thanks again, Race, for all you've done, arranging this rally!

nutmeg & zelig

[ctozgrl]

i won't be able to make it after all. unfortunately i've had an exhausting day as it is. i hope ya'll have fun and i'll be looking forward the reports and pics!

[nutmeg]

Well, we had a fairly poor showing of FReepers at this rally last night, but fortunately the town of Bristol came out in force to give LOTS of support to our troops overseas last night!

FReepers in attendance: RaceBannon, nutmeg & zelig. Also, future FReepers (we hope): SkipJack and Linda and a few others who had attended some of the other recent rallies in CT.

The rally was held in the middle school on the lovely Memorial Boulevard in Bristol (a very nice part of Bristol I had never seen before!). I would need help from RaceBannon as to who was on the stage of officials and other details, but some that I remember from memory: The mayor of Bristol, several veterans from Bristol, several Bristol family members of military men serving in the war in Iraq and Miss Bristol.

Poems read by the mother of a serviceman and another by the wife of one of our troops - both in Iraq now - by far were the most poignant moments of the evening. I'm sure all family members of men and women currently serving in the war were very encouraged by the large showing of support by the people of Bristol last night!

A list of troops overseas from Bristol was read from the podium during the rally... We counted at least 61 men and women in our military just from the town of Bristol alone! Very impressive!

If I can find a Hartford Courant article about this rally, I will post it.

[nutmeg]

Race, thank you again for all of your efforts, and for inviting us to take part in last night's rally. :-)

nutmeg & zelig

[nutmeg]

I can't believe this... I can't find any article in the Courant about the Bristol rally, yet there's plenty of coverage of that stupid "peace" march that went on in the North End of Hartford yesterday.

Channel 3's 11PM news last night had brief coverage of the Bristol rally, but (naturally) devoted more time to the North End "peace" march. LOL, they came off as a bunch of money-grubbing idiots, though... one school nurse (looked like a gray-haired ex-hippie type) yelled right at the camera: "I want that money that's being spent on this "unjust" war in Iraq back in the schools of Hartford! We need it far more for school programs than Iraq does!"

That outburst was accompanied by a Hartford school kid saying basically the same thing. Throw more tax money to us "poor" kids in Hartford! >:-(

[RaceBannon]

I saw the channel 3 at 11 broadcast.

We had 800 people last night. That march had less than 50.

We got 7 seconds, they got 30 seconds, two interviews, and much better press.

makes me sick.

Thank You for showing up!

[RaceBannon]

got pictures here of the event:

http://community.webshots.com/album/68477034xsYVfb

Makes me sick, I posted a scanned copy of the Hartford Courant and the picture of the little kid with the ANTI-BUSH T-shirt on the front page of the Connecticut Section, while we were avoided entirely.

I am theone who e-mailed them about the rally, I KNOW they were told!

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

Thank You Patriots

[RaceBannon]

Tonk, the media really bailed on us.

Local CBS was there the entire program, they gave us 7 seconds only, no interviews!

that PEACE NAZI rally,look at that kids T-Shirt! 7 YEARS OLD!!

They gave that rally over 30 seconds, we had 800 people plus!

Then, the Hartford Courant didnt even show up to the rally, and on the front page of that section, they proudly show the 7 year old with a a T-Shirt that is an insult to the president! A 7 YEAR OLD!!