Frequency The Movie from The ARRL Letter

FREQUENCY PROMOTION TO REUNITE RESCUE PARTICIPANTS

In the movie Frequency, a father and son are reunited across time via Amateur Radio. On Monday, April 24, three of those involved in helping to rescue young pirate attack victim Willem van Tuijl and bringing him to the US for medical treatment will be brought together for the first time at the Dallas screening of the new film. Willem remains hospitalized in stable condition.

The media event--staged by the film's distributors, New Line Cinema--will unite three members of the rescue effort with the van Tuijl family at the AMC Glen Lakes movie theater (at 9450 N Central Expressway, Dallas) April 24 at 7:15 PM. On hand will be Willem's parents, Jacco and Jannie van Tuijl, KH2TD and KH2TE, ARRL President Jim Haynie, W5JBP, US Rep Pete Sessions of Texas, and rescue coordinator Ed Petzolt, K1LNC.

After efforts to bring Willem to the US from a hospital in Honduras faltered, Haynie contacted Sessions' office for assistance. Subsequently, a team from Children's Medical Center in Dallas flew to Honduras and returned with the youth. Petzolt was among the several amateurs who helped to coordinate the rescue of the van Tuijls and their sailboat via the 20-meter Maritime Mobile Service Net. He appeared recently on an ABC 20/20 news magazine segment on the episode along with physician Dr Jim Hirschman, K4TCV, who provided medical advice as the family was headed for Honduras with their injured son. A story on the family's saga also appears in the April 24 issue of People magazine. NBC's Dateline also is said to be
considering a TV segment.

The Dallas Amateur Radio Club already has taken advantage of the movie's pending opening for its public relations value. The DARC van was set up April 18 for an advance showing at the Cinemark 17 theatre in Dallas. The movie was so popular with the largely Amateur Radio audience that it reportedly got a standing ovation. The movie opens nationwide on April 28, and the DARC van is expected to return for that occasion as well.

Amateur Radio manufacturers and distributors recently pledged a transceiver and other prizes for the club that does the best job of promoting Amateur Radio at a local theater screening Frequency. In addition, the ARRL will donate the choice of a 2000 edition of The ARRL Handbook for Radio Amateurs or Handbook CD-ROM to each participating club.

For more information on "Frequency," visit http://www.frequencymovie.com.