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Grand Tour
Photo Gallery
Howard, Don and Big John of VA-2. These images
were taken on the Outer Banks of North Carolina,
Nov 2009, while working towards our Grand Tour
Red Knight Patch which we completed on
12-28-09.
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August 12, 2009 firefighters from Prince Edward Island took a road trip around Southern New Brunswick, along the Bay of Fundy
and through the National Park. They are working
toward their “Grand Tour” Patch.
Pictured above are members of the Red Knights International Firefighters Motorcycle Club, from PEI Chapters 1 and 2. As part of the fellowship of the Motorcycle Club members stop into fire stations along the way, it’s not hard to get a firefighter to stop at a fire station for a visit. This particular trip, we visited Dieppe FD, Riverview FD, Riverside-Albert FD, Hillsborough FD, Alma FD, Salisbury FD, and Shediac FD. It was
a good day’s ride of
about 12 hours and covered approximately 600kms. Thanks to Chief Doug Hamer at Riverview FD for
taking this picture.
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My name is Matt Wermuth, I am a volunteer
firefighter in Churchville, NY and a member of the
Red Knights NY-22 Chapter. Our Red Knights
President, Barry Rickett
shared with us at our last meeting this Grand Tour
ride that he had completed a couple months back and
showed us his patches. I was so excited and couldn't
wait to get out there and start the tour.
It all started at one of the firehouses in the City
of Rochester where our chapter had a breakfast with
some kids that were burn survivors and were on their
way to a weekend summer camp with other burn victims
from around Western New York. After the breakfast I
told a couple guys that I was going to set out for a
couple fire houses on the way back home, we stopped
at Gates Co. #3 and Spencerport Co. #3 and then
Spencerport #1. They had other things they needed to
do that afternoon so I decided to get at least 2
more that afternoon before I called it a day. I
stopped at Hilton-Parma Fire Hall and Hamlin Fire
House on my way out to Kendall Fire Department. It
was such a beautiful Thursday afternoon I decided to
keep going and see how many I could get in one
afternoon... I continued on to Ridgeway, Medina,
Albion, Barre, Elba,
Oakfield, and Town of Batavia. It was here that I
was thinking about calling it a day when two new
firefighters that were hanging out down at the fire
house said I should run down to Darien for the 'D'.
And so my ride continued for 5 more fire halls; East
Pembroke, Indian Falls, Darien, Alexander, and
Stafford. That was 20 fire stations in one
afternoon.
Two days later was our Chapter's ride down to the
Burn Camp to spend the afternoon with the campers
having lunch with them and giving them motorcycle
rides. We met up with the Axe Men from Rochester at
the West Henrietta Fire Department and set out for a
nice ride through the Finger Lakes Region down to
East Campbell Fire Department near Painted Post.
This is where we met up with another Red Knights
chapter from Geneva, NY. Another beautiful afternoon
for a great ride and a great cause. I decided to
extend my ride through the
Southerntier while the rest of the gang
headed back north to Rochester to beat the weather
that was heading for Western NY. I had done some
homework trying to find some fire departments that
started with the letter 'T'. There really isn't too
many of them around... accept for where we were for
the Burn Camp, Thurston Fire Department was not too
far away and another not far from there, but without
having my map and a couple too many gravel roads I
had turned myself around. I headed for familiar
territory and stopped at the North Hornell Fire
House, Hornell Fire Department and then Almond Fire
Hall. I was now headed to visit my brother for the
rest of the weekend in Lewis Run, PA. I stopped at
just about every fire house on the way to grab a
quick picture as now it was raining. I stopped in
Friendship, Cuba, Hinsdale, City of Olean, Allegany,
and finally Lafayette Fire Department just down the
road from my brother's house. That added another 12
fire stations to my tour.
Each day I ride hard it seems like I need a day of
rest in between. So, on Monday's trip back home I
had to zig-zag my way
back home because parts of the Twin-tiers were hit
very hard with rain and some parts there were
tornado touchdowns. I started with Hilltop Fire
Department, Rew, Derrick
City, Otto, Eldred Township Stations 1 & 2, and
Eldred Boro Fire
Department in Pennsylvannia,
and then Ischua, New
Hudson, Oramel, William
P. Brooks Hose Company in Fillmore, and Genesee
Falls Fire Department in Portageville, NY. That was
11 more stations, I have to check and see what other
letters I need now......
I had completed 'RED KNIGHT' & '12 STATIONS', all I
need needed was a 'U' for 'FIRE HOUSE' and 'T', 'U',
and 'R' for 'GRAND TOUR'. I took my uncle from
Florida out for a tour of
Letchworth State Park and on our ride we
stopped at Retsof Fire
Company, Birdsall Fire
Department and Union Hose Company no. 1 in
Dansville, NY.
This is how I display them.
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Note:
All pictures must be no
more than 200 KB or they will not be posted
Rick Showers of PA 28
was the first Red Knight to complete all four of the
Grand Tour rides and earn his Patch with the four
Rockers and his Pin. Rick completed his Tours
between April 11th and July 10th
of 2009
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Members of the Pennsylvania Chapter
17 are proud to announce that we have completed all three Grand
Tour rides in 2008. Which we have been informed makes us
the first chapter to complete all three grand tour rides in a
single year. Each ride had picture perfect weather, although the
final ride was a little chilly to start off in the morning but
the temperature rose to a comfortable level later in the day.
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MAL Bill
MacKenzie's 10th, 12 station Grand Tour and he
is working on 11. |
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North Dakota Chapter 1 guys at one of the stops for there grand tour pin |
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A group of members from PA-8 on their 2004 Grand Tour
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RK NJ-4 at a stop along their Grand Tour. It was an all day Grand Tour from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
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Three day rides, 20 hours, and 1500 km... earned Al and Charlotte Lawrence with Steve Nicholl of Alberta-3 their Grand Tour Pins. |
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Members from Illinois Chapter 2 used University Park, ILL and Richton, Illinois |
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Members from Illinois Chapter 2 used University Park, ILL and Richton, Illinois |
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RKMC NH-6 at a stop along their Grand Tour in 2005.
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Members of Deleware-1
August 2000 |
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Members of GA Chapters 14 & 15 during a pitstop on their Grand Tour...
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...is that really a fire station?? |
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Gayle Keagy from PA-12 2005 |
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RKMC Illinois-2 had their 2005 Grand Tour on August 28 with 30 riders participating! |
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During the ride they stopped at a fund raiser for a fellow rider who had been injured in a crash, presenting him with a check from the chapter.
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Members from Illinois Chapter 2 make it two years in a row with another Grand Tour for 2003. |
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Members from Illinois Chapter 2 make it two years in a row with another Grand Tour for 2003. |
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Reggie Moors, Sr. from RK-Maine-3 at the Rumford, ME FD -- 2004
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On May 26, 2007 North Carolina 5 had a Grand Tour Ride. Visiting local Fire Departments in North & South Carolina. |
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Members participating were: Pres Tony Austin, Treasurer Walt Ratchford, Secretary Becky Hipp, im Hipp, Mike & Donna Baucom, Darrell & Lisa Laws; New member Matt & Cindy Gosnell |
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New Jersey Chapter 14 members attended a 150 mile, 12 fire house Grand Tour on October 2, 2005.
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Members of Ontario-7 on a break during their Grand Tour in '04 |
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Gary & Kathy Reynolds., Henry and Marybell Hiedeman., Leo Patry, Ray Leeworthy, Bill McKee, Lorne and Norma Cornell |
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PA-17's Grand Tour included: |
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Dave Alderfer , Toby Wise, Bonnie Wise, Brian Boyer, Scott Dressel, Bob Bean, David Ondik, Brian Kisch, Sr, Harvey Heimbach, Jeffery Grimm, Jeanne Laird, and Bill Laird
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Members from Vermont Chapter 2 at Ascutney and Underhill, Vermont along their Grand Tour. |
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Members from Vermont Chapter 2 at Ascutney and Underhill, Vermont along their Grand Tour. |
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From Maryland 1's Grand Tour ride on July 10, '05. They had 16 members complete the tour. |
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There's more on their web site at www.redknightsmd1.com |
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Bob and Diona Laford, Mass-2 in New Salem, Mass.
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Members of Maryland 4 started visited 13 Fire and EMS stations in one day dropping off applications and answering questions. |
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Members which participated were John "Fohead" Ford "Road Captain" Michael "Poorboy" Davis "Webmaster" Travis McLane "our newest member"
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RK Illinois Chapter 2's 2004 Grand Tour consisted of Downers Grove FD, Tri-State Fire Prevention District, Oak Brook FD, Aurora FD, North Aurora FD (picture shot from the bucket), Geneva FD, Rutland-Dundee FD, and Union FD. Members of the Aurora FD joined the tour and also some friends of the chapter who are members of LAMA of Chicago. |
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North Carolina-5 completed their Grand Tour in 5-1/2 hours - and the longest stop was for Road Construction!
Riders included Tim Hipp, Becky Hipp, Richard Winters, Robert Hubbard, Tony Austin, Andy Hammond, Bryan Robinson, Herb Blanton |
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Grand Tour New
Zealand style
What started out as a
brief ride to Auckland to look at a new motorcycles turned
out to be a weekend Grand Tour for Dianne and Russel Rawiri
and Verne and Debbie O'Dwyer from Northland-1 (our RKMC
Chapter in New Zealand) in September 2002. Their Grand Tour
garnered them 1,050 kilometers on their bikes before they
were through! Their GT fire stations included: Greenhithe,
Remuera, Albany, Ngaruawahia, Devonport,
TeKuiti, Otorahanga, Urenui, and Rukaka
It sounds as if New Zealand has
some great roads for motorcycling.
"We couldn't believe the
weather. Leaving Mercer there wasn't a cloud in the sky. The
farmland route is far more enjoyable that the highway, and
just as we came into Otorohanga we caught a glimpse of the
central snow capped mountains (where we stopped for photos).
The road to get to our destination, Urenui (one of only two
"U's" in New Zealand), goes through some rugged picturesque
country and the Awakino Gorge down the West Coast over Mt.
Messenger. After refueling in Urenui it was back up the
coast to Mokau where we stopped for a well-earned rest. On
the way home on the second day one short stop was on the top
of Brynderwyn's with the best view overlooking Bream Bay. A
total of 1,050 kilometers with great company, great weather,
and great motorcycling roads -- who could ask for more!?"
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