One of two 9-11 stories I wrote
I know many of you have read this first pumpkin story about the pumpkin I
took to New York City on 10-11-01. I had to do something and pumpkins I did
pretty good.
I rewrote it again for Chicken Soup. I hope you all enjoy. You all were with
me.
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 canbt
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!
William J. Garvey
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