A note from Kim Topal of Harley Davidson
Courtesy of Wisconsin Harley Davidson – www.wishd.com
Written by Kim Topal of Harley Davidson
01-30-2004
Once in a great while, someone comes into your life that reminds you of the greatness of spirit in the human condition. A person that sets aside his own personal needs and security for an individual in peril, an individual whom he has never met, an individual he doesn’t know. I have met such a person.
Most of us spend our lives saving for the future, a better tomorrow; making purchases to ensure that our lives our more enjoyable & comfortable. After the 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, A.J. Marhofke founded an organization called 911BC, a volunteer, canine search & recovery team based at his home in Dousman.
A nonprofit organization, 911BC pays for all related expenses for feeding travel and the purchase of any specialized equipment. All the people that have joined efforts with Marhofke are professional police, fire and emergency personnel who volunteer their time. Funding from the public is very limited. Marhofke uses his weekly paycheck to fund 911BC and his vacation time is employed when his services are requested by law enforcement agencies.
The stars of the search team are two Border Collies, Molly Mae & Zip, who were rescued by Marhofke from a Border Collie Rescue Group. Molly Mae is 8 years old and specializes in the recovery of live person and human remains and has been a Search & Recovery dog for nearly her entire life. Zip is 5 years old with nearly 3 years on the job and specializes in Forensics Evidence Searches.
911BC receives requests for their services from all over the country and the entire volunteer team is on call 24 hours a day. In speaking with Marhofke about his organization it was evident that he has a very hard time asking for donations & sponsorships. Wisconsin Harley will do that for him. Please take a moment to learn more about 911BC by visiting their website at www.911BC.org and make a contribution so this vital work may continue long into the future.
