Pumpkin Story To Soon Hit America...
Hi All
Bill Garvey in Michigan. I am giving the garden a rest this year. Trying to
let all of the 20 years of wear and tear on the soil have a chance to rebuild
itself in some grass. (OK, I might put in a couple plants, but that is it!)
The reason for the note is that I recently received some great news. As many
of you know the story about the pumpkin I took to New York after 09-11 has
been many places, but I have hoped for the last 3 1/2 years to one day share
it
with all of America through a Chicken Soup book. Well that day may be
getting close.
Chicken Soup is about to release a new book in July (if there is enough
interest in the pre-sales). The book is to be called "Chicken Soup for the
Soul
Salutes America's Heroes" and features stories about policemen, firefighters
as well as everyday heroes.
The pumpkin story (which I rewrote for them) as well as two other stories I
wrote are to be included in the book. Please if you would be so kind as to go
to Amazon.com or Barnesandnoble.com and preorder the book. The more books
that are ordered the better the chance the book will go to print on schedule.
I
am told that you will not be charged for the book until it is shipped.
Here is a link to the site where the book is and I have also included below
the story I wrote for the book. You may have to cut and paste the link.
_http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0757302688/qid=1115333648/sr=8
-
1/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl14/103-7916976-8224661?v=glance&s=books&n=507846_
(http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0757302688/qid=1115333648/sr=8
-1/ref
=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl14/103-7916976-8224661?v=glance&s=books&n=507846)
Hope you all enjoy and thank you for so many years of help in my quest to
grow the best in the world.
God Bless,
Bill
PS. If you want to see a picture, let me know.
God Bless You Man
Our family has been growing giant pumpkins for competition for the last 17
years. We have won many contest and once started a business shipping giant
pumpkins all over the USA.
We even had cards printed that said "The Pumpkin Man!" Our cards pictured my
daughter Natalie sitting on one of our prize winning giant pumpkins dressed
in a pumpkin costume.
With time our world changed and although we still competed in contests, we
grew our garden more for the fun of it. We found more love in childrenbs
smiles then we found in blue ribbons, so we donated many of our best pumpkins
to
hospitals and schools each year to make a special Halloween!
Then came September 11, 2001. We all held our breath waiting.
President Bush asked us to give our best to heal America. What could we do
to heal America?
Then one day I woke up and had the answer! We would take our best pumpkin to
New York City to help them smile.
Our best pumpkin weighed just over 500 pounds and was perfect in shape.
I excitedly told my boss Jill about my plan and she was all for it! So off I
went trying to find a place to take it, after just over a week of
frustration, I was starting to get discouraged. I didnbt know what to do
next, then
Jill came up with several new people to contact and maps of where to go if we
were finally going to get the go ahead to succeed.
On October 10, 2001, one of our leads finally came through. We received a
call from the Red Cross at the New York Family Assistance Center. It was like
a
dream come true! They said they would love to have the Pumpkin, when could
you deliver it? I told them I wanted to deliver it tomorrow on the 1-month
anniversary of the crashing of the World Trade Center. I was told no problem;
they would love to have it. I told them that I have to carve it first, then I
could leave at 3:00am and I would be there by 4:00pm the next day. They said
that would be great!
My manager at work told me to go home and get it done. My wife Lorraine and
I carved the pumpkin for 6 hours, only cutting it 1/2" deep into the skin,
mostly because they wanted it to last for several weeks and this is the only
way we could do it. Normally we cut right through to the inside, but if we
did
that it may not have lasted till Halloween.
We started this operation at 4:00pm on Oct 10th and finished at 10pm. By the
time we finished loading the pumpkin it was 11:00pm
The finished face of the pumpkin had a little boy praying for the left eye
and a little girl praying for the right eye, both the little boy and girl was
surrounded by hearts. The nose were the firemen putting up the flag at the
World Trade Center and the mouth was the word AMERICA shaped to make a smile.
We wanted to tell everyone that had lost so much that they were in our
hearts and in our prayers.
I left for New York City on the morning of Oct. 11, 2001 at 3am.
What a drive! The fall colors in the mountains in Pennsylvania were awesome!
I have never saw so much beautiful country in one trip in my life (I kept
humming, America the Beautiful the whole way).
30 miles from New York City I was starting to get a little worried I would
miss a turn. All of a sudden a voice came on the CB, "Hey Michigan, How much
that Pumpkin weigh?" I replied just over 500 pounds." The voice came back.
What are you doing with a pumpkin that is 500 pounds that says America on it?
I replied that this pumpkin is going to the Red Cross Family Assistance
Center in New York City. The radio got quite for a minute, then the voice
said
are you doing it by yourself or do you have someone sponsoring you? I told
him
that it started as my dream but that my boss at work in Michigan had helped
me make it happen by letting me go home early to carve it and letting me have
a few days off to make it happen!
This truck driver from Buffalo, NY. I had never met in my life helped me for
the next 30 miles! He said move over a lane, he said slow down the road is
going to get rough for a few miles. It was almost like he was helping me
drive
my truck. This angel followed me all the way to my exit (the Lincoln
Tunnel).
When I left his company he said "Hey Michigan, when you get back home, tell
your boss, that New York Says God Bless her for letting you come! I said
thank you for getting me there!
I made it to the Red Cross Center with no problem. Once I got there I had to
go through an extensive search of my truck. I met some Great people! Several
of the Police officers couldn't believe that the pumpkin was real (after a
bomb sniffing dog checked it out, I guess they believed me). A police
officers
that had checked under the front of my truck told me not to worry, they did
this to everyone! I told him that I understand. He laughed as he said you
should have a license plate that says the Pumpkin Man. I smiled and told him
"
Thanks I once was that and I guess I am again today!"
I was waiting to unload the pumpkin when one of the younger New York Police
Officers asked me how long it took me to carve the pumpkin, I said about 6
hours, he shook his head in disbelief and said "God Bless you man!" Then he
asked me how long it took me to get there, I said about 11 hours, he again
said
"God Bless you man!" I said I thought you guys would be happy. He said you
can
bt even imagine how many kids you are going to make smile. I said thanks,
that is why I came!
We were both standing there smiling, then told me that his brother was in
one of the towers that went down, I grabbed his shoulder and said "Dear God I
am sorry"(we both looked into each others eyes and we were on the verge of
tears!) He said "you came so far and I cant believe you care so much." I told
him "everyone I know in Michigan and all over the United States cares as much
as I do!" He then pointed to all of the police officers from all over the
United States that were helping, and started naming all the different states
they
were from, then he said, "but to have someone come like you did, means you
really care!" I replied I have had a knot in my stomach and tears in my eyes
since this all began, all of you have been in our hearts ever since!"
"People like you are why I came!"
On the 12 hour drive home I had smile on my face and a tears in my eyes
thinking about all of the angels who had forever touched my life.
My only goal in going to New York was to help all the people that lost so
much feel a little better.
Thank you American Red Cross for helping me achieve my goal and NY, NY for
having me.
God Bless You Man!
B) William J. Garvey
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