Jump to Ruben’s Montgomery Visit
Please give me a few minutes of your time to let you know what is planned and how I need your help.
| One Lap of Alabama in conjunction with Drive Away Cancer – One Lap of America.DONATIONSAll Donations go to the Alabama Chapter of the American Cancer Society |
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This is the second year for John Nikas and his 1953 Austin Healey B100 with a given name of “Grace” to make One Lap of America. His goal this year is to make a 50,000 mile trip and meet as many people as possible to help raise awareness for Cancer and to help raise hope in those affected with this disease. John has allowed people to sign their names or the names of loved ones on his car
as a sort of rolling memorial. I have been in contact with John only a short time but feel as though I have known him all my life. He came through Birmingham this past Sunday on his way to Texas to meet with a Family and child. His car carries photos and memorabilia of patients who have survived and others who have not.
I have been working on doing such an event in Alabama to help raise funds and awareness here as well.
The plans are still in the works now but it will happen near the first of August, tentative dates are August 5th – 11th but this may alter slightly as I firm up the route.
The route, by the way, will begin in Birmingham and follow to these cities: B’ham – Auburn – Montgomery – Dothan – Bay Minette – Mobile – Tuscaloosa – Florence – Huntsville – Gadsden – B’ham.
Did I miss anybody???? (see attached map) This route totals a smudge over 1,000 miles. Each of these cities/areas have British Car Clubs that I have friends in and hopefully will use their support and help to promote the drive/effort. I will avoid Interstate travel if possible so that I can reach small communities along the routes and hopefully touch people along the way. I will not be letting people sign my car as John Nikas has done with his Austin Healey rather I will carry posters or a Banner to have people sign names of friends and loved ones that have been touched by cancer in some manner.
In hopes that this will help raise funding and awareness of the Alabama ACS chapters and how they can help people affected with cancer. I met with John Nikas this weekend to discuss further how I can set this up on his Ebay Page to donate directly to ACS without having to write checks or give me cash to keep up with along the way.
The following links are for John and his efforts for “One Lap of America” Drive Away Cancer.
Hemmings Article 2011 Drive 2012 Drive
Grace’s Donations Alabama ACS Donations
I know this is a lot of info to absorb but do please take a little time to consider helping with this effort and hopefully helping Alabama Cancer patients, survivors and families.
Thanks for your help on this effort, I am most excited to be able to do this and help a worthwhile effort such as the ACS.
Sincerely,
Ruben Greenwood for One Lap of Alabama.
Ruben’s Montgomery Visit
On Monday, August 6, David Price, David Bundy, Larry Sharpton, Bobby Gunter, Cris & Mitch Moody, and Russell Whigham took the scenic route to Opelika in their little British cars to meet Ruben Greenwood and Manuel Barje (in their vintage Minis) to escort them on the Opelika-to-Montgomery leg of their One Lap of Alabama tour. After an early morning send-off in Birmingham, Ruben and Manuel called an audible at Talladega and decided to go through Sylacauga and hit US 280 in order to make their noon meeting time. A light shower was passing over Opelika when we arrived. Following a good meal at the Irish Bred Pub , we motored over Auburn. Ruben is a War Eagle and wanted include a visit to Toomer’s Corner to take some pictures. We were to learn that two days later, the tree service was there to prune the dead limbs from the trees, so we barely made it in time.
After topping off with petrol, we headed back to Montgomery via the twisties up around Lake Martin. The two little Minis had no trouble keeping up with the new-fangled MINIs and other cars over the hills and around the curves. We arrived at their motel just in time for them to freshen up before the BMC meeting that evening. Ruben was the featured speaker at our August meeting at Sinclair’s Restaurant. The following morning, David Price, planner and coordinator for Ruben’s Montgomery stop, and I met with Ruben and Manuel at the motel. David led us to the Capitol, where he had arranged to have a reporter from the Montgomery Advertiser to interview Ruben for an article that was on the paper’s front page the following morning. The next stop was the home office of the architectural firm that Ruben works for, and our last stop was at the Montgomery Cancer Center where they collected more signatures for his banner and donations for this cause. The local weather on TV was warning of flooding across all of the wiregrass. Since they didn’t have a commitment of support in Dothan, Ruben thought it would be better to just head directly to Bay Minette, for their next overnight stay. David then led the escort down US 31 to Greenville for a farewell lunch with Ruben and Manuel as they continued their tour around the state. That’s a mighty good thing you’re doing, Ruben!
Donations
Montgomery Advertiser Photos
Russell’s Photos
David’s Video
Facebook
al.com
So. Al. British Car Club Blog
Cris Moody’s Photos