Freeland, PA – On August 15, 2020, the Climbing for Lost Linemen Ceremony was held on the new National Sisterhood United for Journeymen Linemen grounds in Freeland, PA. There were nearly 100 people in attendance, all there to pay respect to line-lives that were lost in 2019-2020.
NSUJL Grounds
Volunteers from PP&L and Local 1600 are a big part of the reason the NSUJL was able to hold CFLL on their new grounds. These men volunteered their time many evenings and weekends over the past two months to help prepare the grounds. This included excavation, the removal of run-down buildings and sheds, and setting the poles. Shout-out to linemen Kyle, Jeremy, Kris, Gordon, Keith, Jeff, Victor, Tom, and Tim for all of your help and hard work! The NSUJL could not have done this without you.
While the NSUJL grounds still has a lot of work to be done, these volunteers created a peaceful place for those to honor lost line-lives. They also have helped the NSUJL get ready to begin Phase 1 of their Legacy for Lineworkers Memorial.
CFLL Ceremony
As many could not be with the NSUJL this year due to Covid-19 and travel restrictions, the CFLL Ceremony was broadcast live on Facebook. The recording of the entire ceremony can be seen HERE ON THE NSUJL FACEBOOK PAGE. Over 19,000 people have watched the video so far, with the reach being nearly 49,000. This is amazing, and the NSUJL thanks everyone for taking the time to watch. The NSUJL missed seeing a lot of friends and family this year, but know everyone was present in spirit!
This was an opportunity for many families to bond over their line-life and their experiences with one another. Some attendees had never heard of the NSUJL or this ceremony, while others have been in attendance every year since it’s inception in 2012.
Lanterns
The families in attendance have taken the lanterns home as a way to continue to celebrate and honor their loved ones. For those not in attendance, the lanterns will be mailed directly to their home. The NSUJL hopes that the families cherish these keepsakes and the NSUJL invites families to light the lanterns every year during the CFLL Ceremony (if you are not in attendance), to continue to honor your loved one.
Stay tuned to the NSUJL Rodeo Page and NSUJL Facebook Page, in addition to the website here, for updates and pictures from the Climbing for Lost Linemen Ceremony. Also, if you have pictures from the ceremony and would like to share them please email [email protected]. Thank You!