Moxley Carmichael donated a variety of services to help East Tennessee raise $954,000 to buy a new fire truck - The Freedom Engine - for New York City as a memorial to firefighters lost in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

At every step, Moxley Carmichael was called upon to advise the sponsor team, which included The News-Sentinel, Rural/Metro, and First Tennessee. The staff donated 127 hours to the campaign, from designing the logo and naming the project to handling communications issues related to the presentation of the truck to New York firefighters.

The campaign's original goal was low - $250,000 - based on results of another local effort that raised $500,000 for Red Cross New York assistance. As public awareness increased through stories in the news media and donated ads, The Freedom Engine gained momentum, and the goal was continually raised. In the end, sponsors gathered $954,000 and purchased "the Cadillac of fire engines" for New York - a 95-foot tower ladder truck.

More than anything, Moxley Carmichael and other sponsors are proud of the campaign for what it accomplished and what it said about the character of East Tennessee and America.

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