RuthHinWV
12-01-2006, 02:02 AM
Hi Gang!! I read this post on Canlyme.com & thought it would be good to post here. I think it's from Jim Wilson (President & Founder of Canadian Lyme Disease Foundation).
Ruth in WV:)
From: canlymec
Joined: 16 Apr 2005
Posts: 216
Location: BC
PostPosted: Thu Nov 30, 2006 9:16 pm Post subject: Lyme protest results from Tincup Reply with quote
VERY tired.. sorry for this jumbled up version.. but thought folks would like to know how it went. THANKS to all who made it possible for us to do this protest.
PROTEST in NY- November 30, 2006
What a success!
Lots of WONDERFUL people there... from all over the place. AMAZING!
LOTS of media.. and Andy from Open Eye pictures was there filming for the Lyme documentary.
Our bus arrived at noon. Many of us got up at 4 AM to catch the bus from Maryland and some places north. I got home at 10:30 PM. Six hour bus ride up.. six hours back... three hours there. LONG day! But worth it.
Forty people filled the bus.... from Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Maryland. Actually the bus came for me at my stop.. and LEFT ME standing there!!! There were LOTS of tractor trailers at the rest stop.. and our bus didn't see me.. nor I them.. till they gave up and hit the highway headed north.. and as I saw them pass I jumped up and down and waved.. and luckily someone on the bus saw me!!! They had to BACK the bus UP the highway to come back and get me! MY luck!!
Good thing they did come back.. I had 4 coolers filled with subs, ice, drinks, etc... and lots of signs.. the passenger list.. etc!
I was real impressed with the number of folks there.. and the number of GREAT signs. So many versions of signs telling Wormser he should head back to the manure pile... and take his IDSA guidelines with him. I LOVED the signs!!! It took a lot of work!!
I saw press folks taking LOTS of pictures of the signs and people there. Kids from basically new born age.. to adults in their 80's.. a wonderfully diverse crowd.
Met LOTS of new folks this time... everyone with a Lyme story. I was impressed with all the new attendees and their interest in the political actions. No doubt we are on a roll!
Saw LOTS of old friends from LDA and Lyme Net.. too many to mention them all. How they keep going and going.. I do not know. Bless them all for a beautiful effort.
Dr. B spoke.. in his usual debonair fashion.. and he moved the crowd. At one point he told everyone to turn to their neighbor next to them to say hi. Said we need to stick together to make progress... MY words .. not his.
Rain held off.. oh how good that was! Not cold at all... and with a zillion hugs.. I couldn't have been cold if I wanted to!
And there was LOTS of traffic at the place where we were... a very busy intersection.. and they waved and beeped as they went by... even the tractor trailers. Police was there in full force.. and were very helpful.
A group of about 20 folks took the shuttle into Westchester Medical Center after the speeches.. and Dr. B and Pat Smith went with them. I don't know what they did.. but I saw lots of smiles on their faces when they got back off the bus at the protest site.
From what was said in the speeches... we have a good number of politicians on our side now.. and they delivered very passionate speeches. Pat Smith gave a good "pump up the crowd" speech .. as did the individual patients.
As we approached the area on the bus.. keeping in mind we didn't know where it was... we could see the whole place was lit up like a moving neon lime green sign. It actually looked kinda like a busy flea market on a Saturday morning... but BETTER!!!
My personal opinion was it was well organized.. had very good planning.. and had good accommodations for all.
There was a lot of roadside area where folks marched back and forth.. and LOTS of signs hanging off a huge chain link fence. It seemed where there weren't people.. there were signs. Any more folks there and it could have been considered to be very crowded! We sure "filled the site".. that's for sure... and it was a large site. My guess.. just over 300 people there.
Thanks to the wonderful people who took time out of their lives to be there to represent ALL of us.
And a HUGE thank you to EVERYONE who worked hard to put this together. I give it an A+. Thanks to folks who made donations to make this event "happen". We made a point today... and got our message across.
Ruth in WV:)
From: canlymec
Joined: 16 Apr 2005
Posts: 216
Location: BC
PostPosted: Thu Nov 30, 2006 9:16 pm Post subject: Lyme protest results from Tincup Reply with quote
VERY tired.. sorry for this jumbled up version.. but thought folks would like to know how it went. THANKS to all who made it possible for us to do this protest.
PROTEST in NY- November 30, 2006
What a success!
Lots of WONDERFUL people there... from all over the place. AMAZING!
LOTS of media.. and Andy from Open Eye pictures was there filming for the Lyme documentary.
Our bus arrived at noon. Many of us got up at 4 AM to catch the bus from Maryland and some places north. I got home at 10:30 PM. Six hour bus ride up.. six hours back... three hours there. LONG day! But worth it.
Forty people filled the bus.... from Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Maryland. Actually the bus came for me at my stop.. and LEFT ME standing there!!! There were LOTS of tractor trailers at the rest stop.. and our bus didn't see me.. nor I them.. till they gave up and hit the highway headed north.. and as I saw them pass I jumped up and down and waved.. and luckily someone on the bus saw me!!! They had to BACK the bus UP the highway to come back and get me! MY luck!!
Good thing they did come back.. I had 4 coolers filled with subs, ice, drinks, etc... and lots of signs.. the passenger list.. etc!
I was real impressed with the number of folks there.. and the number of GREAT signs. So many versions of signs telling Wormser he should head back to the manure pile... and take his IDSA guidelines with him. I LOVED the signs!!! It took a lot of work!!
I saw press folks taking LOTS of pictures of the signs and people there. Kids from basically new born age.. to adults in their 80's.. a wonderfully diverse crowd.
Met LOTS of new folks this time... everyone with a Lyme story. I was impressed with all the new attendees and their interest in the political actions. No doubt we are on a roll!
Saw LOTS of old friends from LDA and Lyme Net.. too many to mention them all. How they keep going and going.. I do not know. Bless them all for a beautiful effort.
Dr. B spoke.. in his usual debonair fashion.. and he moved the crowd. At one point he told everyone to turn to their neighbor next to them to say hi. Said we need to stick together to make progress... MY words .. not his.
Rain held off.. oh how good that was! Not cold at all... and with a zillion hugs.. I couldn't have been cold if I wanted to!
And there was LOTS of traffic at the place where we were... a very busy intersection.. and they waved and beeped as they went by... even the tractor trailers. Police was there in full force.. and were very helpful.
A group of about 20 folks took the shuttle into Westchester Medical Center after the speeches.. and Dr. B and Pat Smith went with them. I don't know what they did.. but I saw lots of smiles on their faces when they got back off the bus at the protest site.
From what was said in the speeches... we have a good number of politicians on our side now.. and they delivered very passionate speeches. Pat Smith gave a good "pump up the crowd" speech .. as did the individual patients.
As we approached the area on the bus.. keeping in mind we didn't know where it was... we could see the whole place was lit up like a moving neon lime green sign. It actually looked kinda like a busy flea market on a Saturday morning... but BETTER!!!
My personal opinion was it was well organized.. had very good planning.. and had good accommodations for all.
There was a lot of roadside area where folks marched back and forth.. and LOTS of signs hanging off a huge chain link fence. It seemed where there weren't people.. there were signs. Any more folks there and it could have been considered to be very crowded! We sure "filled the site".. that's for sure... and it was a large site. My guess.. just over 300 people there.
Thanks to the wonderful people who took time out of their lives to be there to represent ALL of us.
And a HUGE thank you to EVERYONE who worked hard to put this together. I give it an A+. Thanks to folks who made donations to make this event "happen". We made a point today... and got our message across.