On October 16th, Jacksonville Firefighter Terry Dennis has completed his 4,000 mile cross country cycling trek to raise awareness on the importance of blood and organ donations.
The Five Points of Life Ride is a bi-annual cross country cycling event that educates the public on the five ways people can share life with others through donation. The five points represent whole blood, apheresis, bone marrow, umbilical cord blood, and organ/tissue donations. Each member of the team has had a personal experience requiring the use of these donations.
As a member of the Five Points of Life Cycling Team, Dennis left Seattle on August 25th and arrived in Cape Canaveral on October 15th. He was greeted there by his son Matt, who at age three became the youngest heart transplant recipient in Florida.
Now 21 years of age, a healthy Matt accompanied his father, several Jacksonville Firefighters, and 4 members of the Five Points of Life team as they added an extra 42 miles to the cross country adventure, cycling from St. Augustine to The IAFF Local 122 offices in the Riverside section of Jacksonville.
As soon as Dennis, A Battalion Chief with the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department, reached Jacksonville’s city limits, he was greeted by a Jacksonville Fire and Rescue entourage consisting of 3 engines, 2 ladders, a rescue unit, tanker, and Chief’s car. The procession, which included the Jacksonville Firefighter Bloodmobile, made its way up US 1 in Jacksonville, being met at every major intersection by more Jacksonville Firefighters.
The ride concluded at the IAFF Local 122 offices where upon arriving, Dennids hopped off his bike and kissed the nearest fire hydrant, signifying his return to the Fire Department. A small ceremony followed his arrival. This included stories from the Five Points of Life Riders on their experiences and a presentation from Jacksonville’s City Council proclaiming October 16th as “Five Points of Life Day.”
Now that Chief Terry Dennis is home, he is not slowing down. He intends on finding 4,000 blood and organ donors, one for each mile he rode. He also plans on continuing his work on a program he started two years ago known as the “Twice Saved” program. The idea behind “Twice Saved” is that after fire fighters rescue someone on the scene of an incident, they can save the victim again by using firefighter donated blood in the emergency room.
For more information on the Five Points of Life Team, visit them online at www.lifesouth.org.
To contract Chief Terry Dennis, e-mail him at tdennis@coj.net.
For more information on the Jacksonville Firefighters, visit them online at www.jfrd.com