Good evening,
This has been a long day for me - having to be up at 4:30am for live tv coverage until 8:45am on Global. This was time well spent, but the beginning hour is something that is very foreign to me in the last few years! The container truck arrived at TeraGo at 8:45am. just as Global TV was leaving on another assignment. For the next hour the container was spotted, and then filled. The 53' container held the 29 pallets with inches to spare! - Exmark Transportation knew the exact size to send (as long as the information I gave was correct, that is).
The driver was great - pleasant personality and very willing to do all he could to help. In fact, he did all the labelling, paperwork, and the loading whilst I was being interviewed by the Surrey Now, and then another TV reporter. As the driver was sealing the container, I made sure I had a couple of pictures - proof, as it were, that the Care Packages are on their way.
Hung Vuong (Exmark) did all the paperwork, and pickup and delivery arrangements, with the delivery date (in Montreal) set for no later than September 11, thus ensuring it would arrive in time for being boarded on the ship by mid-September. I believe the container should arrive in early November, but this is not for sure.
Troy Wolfe (TeraGo) was available during the whole loading process and he facilitated the smoothness of the loading - because he knows his warehouse!
I hand delivered the cheque to Hung at Exmark at lunch time (Langley). Hung told me very specifically he wishes to be kept involved should there be other transportation needs in Rotary and any other projects I may undertake. On behalf of our club, I thanked him and assured him we would not forget his kind offer, and the discounted price he has already given for this container.
Mid-afternoon I had another live interview, over the telephone, with CBC radio.
This has been a fitting public end to the Support Our Troops project - a real community based effort and very widely support. My Rotary club has certainly demonstrated, through individual Rotarians and the club as a whole, that the spirit of Paul Harris and all those thousands of Rotarians ahead of us is very much alive and well in The Rotary Club of White Rock.
There still are some ends to tidy, but the big sigh of relief has been done. The receipt for Rotary will be mailed within the day. I have the bill of lading and shipping for Rotary's files as well.
Thank you very much - when Canadians know there is a cause of far reaching value, there is always the question, "Tell me how I may help."
J. Clifford Grant, BA, BEd, MTS, MA(OL)