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Visionary
Posts: 3006
San Antonio, TX | Santa used my Vision on Saturday December 19th, 2009 to deliver gifts to seven family's in San Antonio. Here is a video from the local station.
http://www.woai.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?articleID=776703
It is too funny that they called my Vision a Harley in the title. It was 65 degrees and Santa was sweating quite a bit in his suit.
Background on Elf Louise
The Elf Louise Christmas Project is dedicated to providing a little bit of joy to Bexar County's (San Antonio) less fortunate children.The project began in 1969 when our founder, Louise Locker, was a student at Trinity University in San Antonio.
She found that for many San Antonio families, Christmas just did not exist. Louise began to look for a way to provide a few Christmas presents to some of these children. That first year, with the help of a friend, she collected gifts for children in 13 families.
This year, 19,112 children, in 5,500 families will receive Christmas presents from Santa Clauses volunteering with the Elf Louise Christmas Project.
The current day Elf Louise Christmas Project has evolved into a community-based 100% volunteer organization. These individuals work year-round to ensure the project will continue into the future indefinitely. We have over 4,500 volunteers wrap gifts and deliver toys during the Christmas season.
Louise Locker - Breast Cancer
On a side note, Elf Louise has been fighting breast cancer since October.
http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local_news/Elf_Louise_facing_breas... |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 965
New York State | Found Santa with Harley Quinn but no Santa and Vision |
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Visionary
Posts: 8144
New Bohemia, VA | Excellent, that was cool to see a Vision with a red nose as Santa's sleigh. I've already proven the Vision is snow worthy.... |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 804
Perry Hall, MD | Highest admiration for Santa and Elf Louise.
Adding prayers for a full recovery from the breast cancer!! |
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Puddle Jumper
Posts: 45
San Antonio Texas | Hey Teach-
I was out on the west side doing the same thing. I road with the Alamo City Gypsy's to deliver toys to about 12-13 families. I am not a Gypsy but have friends in the club who make sure to invite me. Great day and cause. I always donate to Elf Louise and St. Jude's Childrens. Next year there should be a second Vision.
JB
(Now in Floresville Texas and waiting on his house rebate) |
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Cruiser
Posts: 117
Spring Hill, Tennessee | This is awesome!
Love the story and the cause!
Merry Christmas to Everyone!!
> |
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Visionary
Posts: 3006
San Antonio, TX | Thanks to all. You can tell that we had a blast. If you want to decorate the Vision for any event, it is easy.
First, clean the Vision. This keeps it from getting scratched up. First bath for my Vision in two months.
Second, buy two yards of your favorite fabric....I like crushed Velvet. Red for Christmas and Valentines...Green for St. Patricks day!
Third, Gift wrap the front blade. Take off the front blade and cover it with fabric and tape it underneath with clear wide packing tape.
Fourth, Gift wrap the saddle bag doors. I start at the bottom and tape it on the inside of the door, then move to the top.
Fifth, I cut two strips of fabric to cover the clutch and front brake levers.
Than I cover the top of the trunk and tie it down to the handles.
Finally get a basket full of candy on back seat to toss to kids you ride by and load the iPod with Christmas music.
lonestarmedic,
One of the my co-workers and a member of our Elf Louise delivery team is a local Gypsy. It would be a blast to have another Vision on the team next year.
Ride Safe and everybody have a great Christmas. Oh yea, be extra careful looking out for people that are thinking about what gifts they are going to buy and not about the road plus them drunk people!!! |
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Cruiser
Posts: 171
San Antonio, Texas | Hey, Paul,Good to see ya' getting some coverage! The Elf Louse project is absolutely a good and worthy cause--lasting for 40 + years. My old drummer used to date her many moons ago, back when she didn't want anyone to know who she was/is. On another note (not a hijack attempt), I got my wife an IPod Touch for Christmas. She really only wants it for the photo capabilities. So, BONUS, I get ot use it on the bike. I'll be referring to your IPod notes for the set up and to get it all going. BTW, did you get your special music clips from the net or somewhere else? That Santa suit really does look hot!lonestarmedic--Floresville, huh? That's on my side of town--we're all going to have to plan another ride to Texas Pride. Maybe with as many of the Vision guys as we can gather--makes for a good photo op!I also have no idea why the preview (and the submit, I suppose) removes all my break lines and center justifies this message--I didn't change anything.......... |
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Cruiser
Posts: 204
West Knoxville TN | Fantastic coverage for the Elf Louise drive and great looking santa and reindeer. Thanks for your support. |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 732
Western WA | Very cool RT. |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 1117
Northeast Ohio | RT, you did this last year too, right? I seem to remember seeing pics of your Vision dressed up like this before. |
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Visionary
Posts: 3006
San Antonio, TX | That was the same as my Vision was dressed last year. I really need to look after Christmas for Antlers and long strips with bells on them. I have a small inverter so I can run lights if I want but I did not have the time this year.
Since October I have been way too busy and have not posted very much.
It started with an very ill Father-in-law, F. Gunther Eyck. Born a German Jew, he was shipped out of Germany in the mid 1930's to England by his father who was a Patent Attorney. Gunther rode Norton and Matchless motorcycle's in the British Army's Royal Corps of Signals, serving as a dispatch rider in Egypt and Palestine during WWII. The man spoke six languages, wrote four books and earned a Doctorate in History. He taught at American University from 1961 to 2002. He also did research and teaching for the Army War college, the CIA and the Defense Intelligence Agency.
In 1950 he became a Naturalized US Citizen. He passed away on October 18, 2009 at age 97 and just hours before he died he griped my hand like a vise.
There was a poem read at the Funeral that Dad translated from German that spoke of soldiers going to war but I could not keep myself from thinking about parallels in the poem to riding a motorcycle on todays streets.
Then the funeral....Followed by a friends wedding in Dallas....next a systems crash at work that required a "double all nighter" Over 45 hours of work in three days. Next...Thanksgiving. A small break followed by Hanukkah (for the wife and friends)...my birthday...now Christmas(for everybody, including sinners like me)....toss in a couple of poker nights and I am pooped out.
I do not know about you guys but I have had enough of 2009 and I will be glad when it is gone.
Tomorrow is the last day I work till January the 4th 2010!
Ride Safe and be careful out there!
Edited by radioteacher 2009-12-23 6:54 PM
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Visionary
Posts: 8144
New Bohemia, VA | My hats off to you RT and pray that you'll have peace and blessings for a New Year. |
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Visionary
Posts: 3204
Memphis | RT,We need to schedule another Hill Country ride with VisionTex, Smadge and anyone else that can make it. I'll take personal possession of your cell phone until the ride is over and it's time to go home. The earth will rotate on it's axis without you getting called in for some crisis. Life is a balance. You've earned a lot of good Karma for all the stuff 2009 threw at you.Giddy Up! |
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Visionary
Posts: 3006
San Antonio, TX | SongFan,
I am ready to go! Yesterday I spent some quality time with Sparks.
I took off and stowed the red velvet for another 51 weeks, cleaned and inspected the bike from stem to stern, checked my throttle cable, air in tires, air in rear shock and added the metal chrome covers to the rear tipovers that I received for Father's day.
Speaking of the rear tipovers and passenger foot pads....I replaced the bolts and pins with new stainless hardware. 5/16" x 2 1/2" bolts for the pads and 5/16" x 2" bolts for the risers. What a vast improvement. I will put that info in another post.
Next month I will need my 15,000 mile service and both tires replaced.
14,000 miles and still running strong.
Ride Safe. |
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Santa on his Vision - News Video