Ernie's Ride

It has been nearly two months ago when a group of about a dozen motorcycle rides stopped at a traffic light, followed by a few autos. It was a beautiful day with bright blue skies, the temperature was in the high 60s, and the group was on a wide urban straight four lane highway. A perfect ride day. While they waited for the light to change, a LARGE dump truck approached from behind them and the driver bent over shuffling his paperwork in the cab. When his eyes looked up to the road, it was too late. He plowed (full speed) into the stopped cars, which in turn, smashed into the waiting bikers. Bodies and bikes slide, flopped and flew into the intersection. On-lookers were horrified. There were people trapped under the truck, which now was starting to burn. Some lay lifeless. By-standers began pulling victims to safety and caring for the injured until emergency responders arrived.
One of the seriously injured bikers was a emergency responder himself. A Phoenix Fire Department Captain/Paramedic, and a loved member of the Fire Department family I wrote about before. While Ernie recoups from his multiple and almost fatal injuries, his FAMILY, friends and family planned to help.
Yesterday, over 1000 bikers, nearly 40 hot rods united at Fire Station 54 (Ernie's station) for a pancake breakfast and then a 45 mile ride to a regional shopping center for a party to help fund Ernie's healing and medical bills. A couple of the victim were well enough to ride along too.
Police Officers from more than four cities stopped traffic as the bikers and rods stretched and snaked through the route while firefighters pulled their trucks out of the stations, sounding sirens and air horns in honor of the bikers and Ernie.
Ernie is making a brave recovery, but it will take even Ernie (a former Airborne Ranger) a lone time to get back to his old physical self, and even then...
Ernie nearly cried when he heard the ride and party plans. He was heard saying, "Damn it! I want to go too."