I was handed a stack of another 20 incidents involving the Yamaha Rhino. So far there have been too many injuries to count and the death toll is rising. The stability of the Rhino has been compared to that of a bar stool by The Engineering Institute and yet nothing has been done. We suffer at the hands of Yamahas lack of concern for there own consumers and quite frankly I find that appalling. At what point does the loss of human life begin to matter to them the way it matters to me? Every story I read only fuels me and motivates me toward the goal of prompting change. But why does a matter that involves death take so much prompting? These I suppose are not questions for us to answer; however, when the ostrich pulls his head out of the sand on this one what a hell he has to face.

The ATV Awareness Walk this Saturday was a great success! We had the opportunity to spread the word on the dangers of the Yamaha Rhino and let people know the damage this ATV is causing. The J.T. Crow Memorial Fund along with our organization Bubba’s Angels had the opportunity to present our first two Bubba’s Angels awards. This is an award that is presented to people who help spread the word on ATV Awareness. Our first recipient is a young lady named Sunny Chism. She lost her arm while riding on a Rhino. Though she is only 13 years old she has found the courage to share her story with others. I am amazed and very proud of her efforts!
Our second Bubba’s Angels Award went to a Game Warden named Ellis Powell. He was the officer first on the scene the night of J.T.’s accident. He has also helped tremendously in the effort to protect people from injury. He spoke at the walk about some of the accidents he has witnessed and we were honored to have him attend.
The J.T. Crow Memorial Fund also had the privilege of sharing our first efforts toward awareness by distributing our pamphlet on ATV safety, which you can download off of our website. Thank you to everyone who attended, helped, and hugged. Please continue to spread the word and we will see you at our next event!

I spend a lot of time on J.T.'s website hoping that people are finding it and reading it. I know that by learning our tragic story on the website, where just today the hits have surpassed 1500, or at one of our events than you have gained the knowledge to keep this from happening to your family. Our lives were so different only 4 months ago. I found a picture today and in it I see what was, but with this knowledge this picture could have remained what is, and I want all yours to do just that.

Living with me now is no small feat, just ask my kids. Our afternoon conversations have gone from “Do you guys want chicken or meatloaf for dinner?” to “Over 100 children die annually from All Terrain Vehicle accidents. What would you do to help decrease that number?” and as I stare into the blank faces of my children I realize there is a better place to pose this question. So here ya go… “Over 100 children die annually in ATV accidents. What would you do to help decrease that number?” I am now posting the cyber equivalent to a suggestion box and all suggestions are welcome so get involved! If you have any ideas on spreading ATV Awareness then click on Before and After and post away.

I was reading this morning and praying for inspiration for today when my phone rang. Sometimes I sit in the quiet house thinking about J.T. and thinking about the cause and I let the machine get it. However this morning I wasn’t feeling anything but sadness and the ringing was a welcomed distraction. It was a woman who's son went to school with J.T. her son was in pain over the loss of his friend and she wanted to let me know that her son who is severely ADHD could always count on J.T. for a playmate. She said J.T. always had time to be his friend and that he missed him. I knew J.T. was compassionate, kind, and considerate but the lesson he taught me through this story is beyond what I even knew about my son. See what J.T. figured out is that time is love. Time is the most precious gift we can give of ourselves to others. He taught me that the best use of life is love. The best expression of love is time and the best time to love is now.