Our club just lost a very good friend to cancer. He was an avid member and raced his Cooper on a regular basis.

We wanted to do something in his honor and have decided to create a banner and send it around the country!!.

Here's how it will work. We will start this banner in the Piedmont area of North Carolina. It will contain signatures of people who pass the banner on from MINI owner to MINI owner. All we ask for is a contribution to the American Cancer Society of any amount. I am sure that, as this goes around the country, there will be various other ideas and fundraiser ideas from other clubs, and owners. The contributions can be sent to your local chapter, since we are not asking that they be sent to our club.

This will be a great way for the MINI community to be involved. We will plan to track the banner through this thread on NAM.

Our club is asking for comments from others before we begin this project. The one thing we don't want is to start this and it doesn't get very far. Please share your comments.

Our plan is to start this on 6/23 at our Touch the Sky rally at Mt. Mitchell, the highest point east of the Mississippi.

 

Hi Red,

First and foremost, sorry to hear the sad news. My prayers are with you and his family.

I've lost friends and a family member from cancer, so I'm definitely down with the idea. I live in SF, California. Just let me know when all the logistics are in play for Nor Cal region and what I can do to assist with the program.
One of which I may be able to pull off a GTG at local eurotuner shop. I don't know too many local mini owners at this time, but with shop owner/friend's assistance we will get the word out. And I think this gathering should not only be for minis but for all euro car owners who has lost friends/family members from cancer as well. The MINIS will be the host/sponsor of the event of course!! Let me know if this is something of interest to you.

regards,
JT

 

Thanks for the reply, JT. I appreciate the enthusiasm. This is what I am looking for. As far as how it gets there, I am going to let this banner travel on its own... trusting MINI owners to pass it along.

My idea is to treat this like an Olympic torch relay, where the banner is passed from MINI owner/club to owner/club. A club might choose to display this at a gathering/rally for signatures and contributions or just pass it along.

I think it would be real interesting to trace the path and hear the different ways clubs have found contributions.

Any more people???

 

I think it's a good idea as well. Maybe try hitting up club organizers to work out a schedule - each club can keep it for a week coinciding with a club event, or something similar.

I will surely contribute and sign if it comes out here to the West Coast.

 

I love that idea. I've been through 2 bouts with breast cancer since 01. Any idea to help cancer survivors or to aid the cancer society in help with fighting this horrid disease is #1 on my list!!! I'm sorry about the loss of your friend. I've had several friends and family pass away due to cancer. I consider myself a very lucky person to this date.

 

I think it would be fantastic and I'm sure you will get a lot of support for it! Definitely get in touch with the various regional clubs, as that's the only real way to get any sort of organization around this.

 

Great responses!! Looks like we have support to make this work. I will work on the banner and hopefully start this on the 23rd.

Once we begin, I would like to try to track this and here stories that different club, etc. have to raise money.

Stay tuned, more details to come.

 

This weekend we had a joint club meeting between M2C2 and Tar Heel MINI's on a drive to Mt. Mitchell. Twenty-one cars and 35 people made the trek to the top of the tallest mountain east of the Mississippi.


While there we signed the banner that will be relayed accross the country. This is a grass roots effort to help raise money for cancer research. At our gathering we raised $560 that will be contributed to the local cancer chapter.

M2C2 carried the banner back to Charlotte and will be going to Greenville, SC, later this week. From there it will be relayed to other clubs. Plans are for this to be at the MINI's at the Mountain, and hopefully make it to the west coast as well as AMVIV.

Everyone is looking forward to seeing this banner return next year at the Dragon.

Please help relay this across the country, and report it's location on this forum. There is a map on the banner and we would like to trace the path.

Remember donations are handled locally, and given to the local chapter, not sent back to our club.

Special thank to Cooperation for the graphics, and M2C2 for being the next "leg" in the relay.

 

WOW! What a great way to help and have a great time doing it! We sure did!

 

Yeah, I agree. Once we all appeared at the summit, I think other people on the mountain were as impressed with all the cars as they were with the view.

 

What a great idea! Mini Meets East is coming up this weekend in Tennessee... have you had any contact with the organizers? I'm also going to post this link on my local chapter's website (AtlantaMINIs) to see if we can coordinate something for our next event. I lost my grandfather to colon cancer in 2000 and would love to do a small part to help out.

 

Now your talking!

 

That was one fun trip and some nice money has already been raised. Very good job to Mr. Magoo and Twister for their organization of this event. Great participation from the Tar Heel club http://www.tarheelminis.org/ and the Motoring Club of the Carolinas. http://www.m2c2.org/ It was nice to join the Charlotte folks for this trip. Nice people all around. We need to do this type thing again real soon.
I have a friend in Baptist Hospital in Winston-Salem being treated for cancer right now. This is a tough disease that takes a toll on all of us in one way or another. I hope this banner makes its way across the country and beyond to help the cause.

MINI owners rock.

 

Thanks Mrs. Skurvy,

Contact Blue MINI in Charlotte. He was going to try to get the banner to Greenville, SC and maybe someone can get it from there to TN. Where in TN are you going to meet?

 

I'm not in charge or even really participating in the event... I wish I was, but I couldn't get off work... I forwarded your link to the appropriate people... you can also get more information here:

http://www.mme2007.com/

 

Any update on the location of the banner? Starting to get several request from other clubs?

 

Great idea....lost my mother-in -law 2 May 07 to cancer. I know folks at MME right now...hope they bring it back to OH with them.

 

If it somehow ends up in Atlanta near the mid part of July, I am due for a MINI servicing & can arrange to pick it up in GA & bring it back to Alabama. Some in our club are going to the Barber Motorsports Races on July 20th so we could sign & take donations then. I will have to talk to others to see who & where the next hand-off could be after we finish (possibly in Nashville if someone is due for servicing soon? but I dunno)

 

Someone send it out toward the West I'll organize an event/fund raiser within the West Coast MINI club, and I'm sure I'll be well received in passing the Banner on our MINI brethen to the North....SoCal Mina Maniacs.

Great idea!

 

That would be great!!

 

Don't go neglecting the midwest, now.

 

If someone can tell me when it will be in Central Cal, I will get something together.

 

Someone bring this to the DC area! We have TONS of runs coming up and would LOVE to do our part!
September/October would be great, since I have a charity run in August planned already.

That will be my 15th ann. of the effects on my family...Wow, how time flies...

 

Man, I really love the enthusiasm. This is exactly what I was hoping would happen. I knew this would work just at a grassroots level. Currently I think the banner is with the M2C2 club.

Would whoever has the banner please post the location and when it will be available to go to the next location. With as many MINI people driving around the country this summer, it is bound to travel, and it gives you a chance to meet other people of only for a minute, when you pick up the banner.

We should have plenty of time and I would hope that it would wind back up next year at the Dragon, and if has not gotten around the country by then, we will just keep it going. The purpose is the fundraising effort.

Thanks to everyone who has expressed an interest.

 

Banner will be in Charlotte, NC this Saturday. If anyone is planning on going through Charlotte, please contact BluCoopr or MidnightDave or myself. I understand Atlanta MINI's wanted this for an drive on 8/5.