Around the world in a 1991 Geo Metro. A $500 dollar Geo metro.
Most fund raising ideas for charity entail running marathons or auctions. As time-tested
and worthy as the aforementioned methods are, we wanted something just a little more
newsworthy. We also wanted something a little more challenging that would capture the
imagination and rekindle the adventurous spirit that 21st Century life has mostly
forgotten. Enter The Adventure Research League of North America.
The Point of All This
We're very much about raising money for some important and amazing charities. Since
we're rather fond of a world that can provide so rich an experience we decided that
each adventure would raise money for some noteworthy charities. ARL NorthAm
chooses the organizations we support very carefully to ensure that the funds go a long
way and make a real difference. If you want to know more about the charities we're
supporting, please click on the Charity links at the right.
The Adventure Research League of North America?
We're about creating adventure in this 21st Century World. Nowadays it is far too easy
to get on your computer, whip out your credit card and book an “adventure” trip to
Mount Everest's base camp. This all-inclusive trip “is mostly quite gentle with a couple
of long hill climbs following very well formed tracks through the Sherpa homeland” - with
all the danger and risk surgically removed. Adventure without risk is Disneyland.
Imagine having to cross up to 13,000 miles of roads ranging from good to bad, dirt
roads, and sometimes no roads to get to China. Now imagine doing it in a 1991 Geo
Metro that has an engine displacement of no more than 1000 cubic centimeters. All of
the elements of adventure are present and accounted for.
The Challenge
The challenge: Drive the Metro more suited to carrying groceries from the
neighborhood store from San Francisco across America and Canada to New York, ship
the car to London and drive to Australia through places most people didn't’t know
existed. Get through four continents, as many as 25 countries, 10 mountain ranges, 4
deserts, gypsy bandits, roads ranging from bad to non-existent, countries that end in –
stan, an unstable fledgling government or two, one Great Wall, and an Australian
Monolith in a $500 car. No support crew, no assistance, no rescue helicopters. Just
our wits, luck, and McGuyver-like skills to get us through all the way to Australia and
back to San Francisco. There’s no guarantee of our arrival back home, or our safety.
The Plan
Our plan is to get the Metro rally-ready here in the United States, get the car prepped,
gather sponsors and donations, drive it across North America and have the car shipped
to either Thamesport or Southampton, England from the East Coast. Friends will pick up
the car for us and store it until the ARL NorthAm team arrives in the UK. Then it’s off to
Shanghai by any route that we deem fit. Once in Sydney, we'll to ship the car and
ourselves back to our starting point in San Francisco. All told, we will have
circumnavigated the planet via trains, planes, prone to sinking ferries, and a $500 Geo
Metro while raising awareness and funds for charitable organizations around the world.
Most fund raising ideas for charity entail running marathons or auctions. As time-tested
and worthy as the aforementioned methods are, we wanted something just a little more
newsworthy. We also wanted something a little more challenging that would capture the
imagination and rekindle the adventurous spirit that 21st Century life has mostly
forgotten. Enter The Adventure Research League of North America.
The Point of All This
We're very much about raising money for some important and amazing charities. Since
we're rather fond of a world that can provide so rich an experience we decided that
each adventure would raise money for some noteworthy charities. ARL NorthAm
chooses the organizations we support very carefully to ensure that the funds go a long
way and make a real difference. If you want to know more about the charities we're
supporting, please click on the Charity links at the right.
The Adventure Research League of North America?
We're about creating adventure in this 21st Century World. Nowadays it is far too easy
to get on your computer, whip out your credit card and book an “adventure” trip to
Mount Everest's base camp. This all-inclusive trip “is mostly quite gentle with a couple
of long hill climbs following very well formed tracks through the Sherpa homeland” - with
all the danger and risk surgically removed. Adventure without risk is Disneyland.
Imagine having to cross up to 13,000 miles of roads ranging from good to bad, dirt
roads, and sometimes no roads to get to China. Now imagine doing it in a 1991 Geo
Metro that has an engine displacement of no more than 1000 cubic centimeters. All of
the elements of adventure are present and accounted for.
The Challenge
The challenge: Drive the Metro more suited to carrying groceries from the
neighborhood store from San Francisco across America and Canada to New York, ship
the car to London and drive to Australia through places most people didn't’t know
existed. Get through four continents, as many as 25 countries, 10 mountain ranges, 4
deserts, gypsy bandits, roads ranging from bad to non-existent, countries that end in –
stan, an unstable fledgling government or two, one Great Wall, and an Australian
Monolith in a $500 car. No support crew, no assistance, no rescue helicopters. Just
our wits, luck, and McGuyver-like skills to get us through all the way to Australia and
back to San Francisco. There’s no guarantee of our arrival back home, or our safety.
The Plan
Our plan is to get the Metro rally-ready here in the United States, get the car prepped,
gather sponsors and donations, drive it across North America and have the car shipped
to either Thamesport or Southampton, England from the East Coast. Friends will pick up
the car for us and store it until the ARL NorthAm team arrives in the UK. Then it’s off to
Shanghai by any route that we deem fit. Once in Sydney, we'll to ship the car and
ourselves back to our starting point in San Francisco. All told, we will have
circumnavigated the planet via trains, planes, prone to sinking ferries, and a $500 Geo
Metro while raising awareness and funds for charitable organizations around the world.
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