[CTSARA] [GNARC] SARA and GNARC Support the 2014 Bloomin Metric

[Betsey Doane]

Great report John; many thanks for this.  I'll make sure Wayne gets it and include it in the next news.  Lots of public service activities this past weekend--thank you all for your time and commitment!

73, Betsey K1EIC
Sent from my iPhone

> On Jun 1, 2014, at 5:02 PM, Jon Perelstein <jon.perelstein at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> On June 1, the Stamford Amateur Radio Association (SARA) and Greater
> Norwalk Amateur Radio Club (GNARC) joined forces to provide communications
> coverage for the 2014 Bloomin Metric, a 2500+ rider charity bicycle ride in
> southwestern Fairfield County Connecticut.  We fielded 23 radio operators
> to provide communications for net control, rest areas/food stops, SAG
> (support and gear) wagons, and "scout" cars, as well as staffing the
> telephone help lines set up for riders to call in case of problems.  Net
> control had full dispatch authority over the vehicles, and the vehicles
> handled over 50 response calls ranging from assistance with flat tires to
> taking possession of a rider's bicycle and gear after he was injured in a
> crash.  In addition, the vehicles provided information to event management
> and local police as to location and density of riders along the routes.
> 
> In order to provide communications over all routes (25 mile, 75 km, 100
> km), we set up a temporary cross-band repeater to relay comms from the
> northern end of the course back to the main repeater located close to the
> southern end of the course.
> 
> In addition to SARA and GNARC hams, we also had hams from the Fairfield
> Amateur Radio Association and the Greater Bridgeport Amateur Radio Club,
> plus licensed hams from Stamford CERT, Weston CERT, and Fairfield CERT.  We
> were especially pleased with the participation of the CERT members because
> we have been making an effort to reach out to them to train them in radio
> communications and to get them interested in ham radio as a hobby.
> 
> This was the 38th annual Bloomin Metric, and ham radio has been associated
> with it for close to 20 years.  This year marked a major change as the
> Bloomin Metric absorbed another local charity ride - something that event
> leadership felt was made possible in part by the assistance they've
> received from ham radio.
> 
> Participants:
> 
> Jon, WB2RYV (SARA President)
> Sam, NV1P (GNARC President)
> Adam, K9WAR
> Andrew, KB3CZA
> Bill, WG1HM
> Brian, KC1BAT
> Bruce, KC2WGX
> Chris, KB1QXR
> Doug, KB1UKC
> Frank, KB1QZH
> Fred, K1FC
> Joe, KC1AUH
> Larry, W1LAG
> Marilyn, KB1YYO
> Marty, KA1WBN
> Mike, KA1EOU
> Jonathan, W3EIC
> Paul, WB2JVB
> Steve, KB1YLQ
> Terry, W1TSM
> Terry, WA1JBO
> Tom, KD1UL
> Toy, K1WYQ
> 
> THANK YOU ALL
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