To support the Rethink 9/11 campaign inexpensively, activists in Connecticut took a novel approach to doing outreach by creating homemade Rethink911 banners.  Local organizer Wayne Coste, PE, said that, “One of the issues when doing outreach is how many people will see the message and how much effort it will take.  Our group did not have the funds for paid advertising, so we decided to try a homemade traveling billboard.  Furthermore, it could be made to be fun, and that is a definite bonus.”

Co-organizer Carl Henry Seeger said, “One of our members was able to print off a series of 11x17 color segments that could be taped together into a double-sided banner.”
Put together using fourteen 11x17 color sheets. Edges were trimmed and then taped together to create a single sheetSeeger continued, “The first public showing of the homemade banner was in the 2013 Willimantic Boom Box Parade.  Now this is a parade where anyone can march or enter a float and the only requirement is to wear some red, white, and blue, and bring a radio tuned to WILI (1400-AM).  Because there is no "official" theme for the parade, we decided to put the banner on a trailer hauled by a bicycle.”  

Float driver Wayne Coste while waiting for the parade to start, spoke to other marchers about 9/11Wayne designed the trailer, then built it out of PVC pipes and some wheels borrowed from a child’s bicycle trailer.  As a result, several thousand parade viewers were exposed to the Rethink911 message by this banner.
Wayne Coste tows the homemade Rethink911 banner in the Willimantic Boom Box Parade on the Fourth of July. (See Wayne’s 20 seconds of fame on YouTube youtube.com/watch?v=Bz8tyu7h8q4 between 4:50 and 5:10.)“Another enjoyable and productive day doing 9/11 outreach!”

The banner was used again a few days later to reach out to a large audience along the shore of the Connecticut River in Hartford.  Riverfest attracts many thousands to the area overlooking the river where the annual fireworks display is presented.  This year, while waiting for the fireworks, the audience was presented with some new information about 9/11 from a canoe in the river.  The canoe-with-banner was christened the SS Truther. Additionally, members of the Hartford AE911Truth Action Group handed out flyers and 9/11 Investigator newspapers.  Coste showed his “stern” determination to get out the message of “Rethink 9/11” by steering the canoe up and down the river and from one bank to another, making it hard for onlookers to miss the message. Coste said, “It was very relaxing to be in the river. The currents were about offset by a breeze that went up-river.  Another enjoyable and productive day doing 9/11 outreach!”  

Barbara Sarmento, who was on shore handing out literature was very pleased with the response.  Barbara said, “I had an umbrella that had the words “9/11 Truth” on it.  Lots of people walked up to me and asked me what this was all about and if I had any information.  I am so glad we had enough flyers and 9/11 Investigators to hand out.”
Coste and another Connecticut volunteer, Richard, help keep the SS Truther’s rethink 9/11 message on an even keel

A few days later, the SS Truther was launched for another fun day in the sun.  This time the message was aimed toward the crowd at the annual Caribbean Islands Festival.  With the beautiful weather and the large crowd, this was a huge outreach success.

Coste and Walt, another Connecticut volunteer, huddle to discuss the Truther’s visibility strategy for the afternoon