[ILHam] Ham Radio Volunteers Needed 07 June for Madison-Chicago 200 Relay, etc.

[Neil R. Ormos N9NL]

Dear Cook County ARES Members and Friends:

We need your help with several upcoming public
service events, including the Madison-Chicago 200
Relay on 07 June (see below)!

Among many great reasons to help with public
service events, let me offer one that should
appeal to all hams: our need to guard the
frequencies allocated to the amateur radio service
against other prospective users.  U.S. hams are
allocated more than 190 MHz of spectrum between
144 MHz and 2.5 GHz.  This is VERY VALUABLE real
estate, and you can bet there are all sorts of
commercial and government interests drooling at
the prospect of evicting us and claiming the
spectrum for their own uses.  And there are other
government interests who would love to sell that
spectrum to the highest bidder.  When other users
come to grab our spectrum, we will need friends
who understand the irreplaceable value of amateur
radio as an emergency and public service
communications resource.  Volunteer public service
is one way hams can demonstrate, to officials and
the public at large, the value we can offer, not
just in emergencies, but throughout the year.
Won't you please help?

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1.  HELP NEEDED 07 JUNE FOR MADISON-CHICAGO 200 RELAY

    We're looking for a few good ham radio volunteers
    to help with communications for the
    Madison-Chicago 200 Relay on Saturday 07 June.

    This event is a 200 mile relay race from
    (surprise!) Madison to Chicago.  A portion of
    proceeds benefits Special Olympics of Wisconsin
    and Illinois and the Avon Foundation's "Need For
    Speed Against Domestic Violence" program.  We need
    to staff three locations in Cook County (Chicago,
    Evanston, and Glencoe) on Saturday, and we expect
    to need help from around 7:00 AM through late
    afternoon, depending on location.  If you can work
    for only a part of the time, we still need you.
    There may be other opportunities, in Lake County
    or Wisconsin, for those available on Friday or
    very early Saturday.

    This is a great opportunity to spend some quality
    time with that new radio that you just bought in
    Dayton, or to shake the cobwebs out of that old
    gear that's been gathering dust over the winter.
    It's also a great chance to refine your emergency
    and public service communications skills.  And the
    event is a lot of fun.

    Don't worry if you're new at this--we'll
    provide on-the-job training.  Non-ham volunteers
    are also welcome.

    Please join us.  To sign up or for more
    information, contact me by e-mail or phone (224
    232 8529).

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2.  OTHER UPCOMING PUBLIC SERVICE EVENTS

    Ham radio volunteers are also needed to support
    these other public service events coming up soon:

      01 June (Sun)--Union IL
      Udder Century Bike Run

      07 June (Sat)--Geneva
      American Diabetes Assn. Tour de Cure for Diabetes

      15 June (Sun)--Burlington/Kane County
      Swedish Days Ride

    More info is available at:

      <http://pages.ripco.net/~ormos/ares.html#link-pse>

=================================================================

73

--Neil Ormos N9NL
District Emergency Coordinator
Amateur Radio Emergency Service
Cook County/Chicago