Route 66 turns 100 this year, and a group of automotive enthusiasts has come up with a fitting way to celebrate. They’re going to drive roughly 2,400 miles of it in a caravan of 14 mostly classic vehicles.
The trip will take 10 days, cross eight states, and involve vintage cars such as a 1953 Hudson Hornet and a 1940 Ford Sedan Delivery, but this journey is something far bigger than a bucket-list road trip.
The group will be raising money and awareness for Parkinson’s disease, with proceeds benefiting Drive Toward a Cure’s Special Assistance Grant Fund. The program provides direct support to individuals and families dealing with challenges associated with Parkinson’s.
The caravan leaves Kingman, Arizona, on September 28 and heads east toward Chicago, reaching Route 66’s historic starting point on October 7. In other words, they’re driving the Mother Road backwards toward where it all began.
It Started With A 1953 Hudson Hornet
Organizers Monty Belsham and Brian Macy originally envisioned the trip as an adventure between friends. Belsham had dreamed of driving Route 66 for over 20 years, and purchasing a 1953 Hudson Hornet finally gave him the car to do it.
The cause is particularly personal for Belsham, whose 80-year-old father lives with Parkinson’s in British Columbia. Several other participants discovered they also had family members or friends whose lives had been affected by the disease.
Macy and his wife, Heather, will make the journey in a 1940 Ford Sedan Delivery once owned by his grandfather. Joie and Andrea Catucci are bringing their 1955 Chevrolet 3100, while Dodie Carcel and Rudy Reyes will travel in a much newer 2017 GMC Sierra 1500, which obviously isn’t a classic but will probably add some reliability to the lineup.
Eight States In 10 Days
The caravan will travel through Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, and Illinois on its way to Chicago. Belsham and Macy will actually begin in Santa Monica two days earlier before meeting the rest of the group in Kingman.
Along the way, they’ll visit landmarks including Arizona’s Petrified Forest, Cadillac Ranch in Texas, and the Route 66 midpoint. The route also passes through Oklahoma City, Tulsa, and Springfield, Missouri, before continuing through Illinois.
Each vehicle will carry commemorative Route 66 Centennial door decals along with a QR code directing people toward information about the fundraiser.
Putting The Cars To Work For A Cause
Drive Toward a Cure was founded in 2016 and says it has raised over $1.5 million for Parkinson’s research, patient care, and outreach. Money generated by this trip will specifically support its Special Assistance Grant Fund.
There’s something especially appropriate about celebrating Route 66’s centennial this way. Rather than parking these cars on a perfectly manicured show field, their owners are preparing to put thousands of miles beneath their tires.
They’ll get the road trip of a lifetime in the process. Hopefully, the attention those old cars attract along the way will help make every one of those 2,400 miles count.