Day 8 is Dedicated to Firefighter Earl Drayton

Day 8 is Dedicated to Firefighter Earl Drayton

Day 8 started off early as the Elks volunteers decided to wake us up at 5:45am for our breakfast.  We were treated to a wonderful breakfast.  We were escorted out of the city by Savannah Police department.

After approximately 8 miles into the ride we turned a corner and realized we were on the on ramp to the bridge they talked about last night.  The bridge proved to be a challenge but all riders were able to complete it.  Even thought Lucky had a flat tire halfway up the bridge, thanks to Clint’s fast work, Lucky was able to complete the bridge also. 

At the bottom of the bridge was the South Carolina State border.  We were all surprised to see three South Carolina State Trooper vehicles waiting for us.  These guys were awesome and protected us for the rest of the day. 

Our support staff, led by Zack Jones, has been invaluable by finding us adequate shady rest stops every 15 miles.   Today was an 84 mile day which meant we would be riding into the afternoon heat.  It was a surprise to us that this was the longest mileage day of the trip.

Upon our arrival in Walterboro we were given an escort by the police and fire.  The fire department provided several pieces of apparatus for the escort.

We arrived at the Lodge and were greeted by the Exalted Ruler and gave the thank you plaque to the Lodge.  We were then met by the parents of Firefighter Brandon Thomson who died in the line of duty at the fire in Charleston.  The Thomsons met with all of the riders and thanked them for their help in the Brotherhood Ride.  It was an emotional time for the riders and the Thomsons   

We then turned in for a good sleep in anticipation of our last day of riding.