49 States In 9 Days For Charity

I’ve been entertaining thoughts of getting in my car and heading to California to arrive in time for the press days for the 2009 Los Angeles Auto Show.  If I were to leave Raleigh, NC during the last week of November, I’d be at the L.A. Convention Center on December 1st, just in time for the preview which begins the following day.

Then again, I’ve never driven more than one thousand miles in any one direction — six thousand miles round-trip would be a real chore!

Taking America By Storm!

Well, my dream will have to wait until I have the time to make such a trip as well as the right kind of car to drive. Then again, having an older set of wheels isn’t stopping Dave Staub from making the most amazing cross-country trip I’ve ever heard of, a venture where he plans to touch 49 states and one Canadian province in just 9 days and in a 1932 Ford Highboy Roadster no less!

Staub’s trip will take him from his native California on a circuitous trip that will head south and east to Florida then up the east coast to Maine before heading across the northern fringes of the country, coming to an end in Alaska.  He’ll be driving about 9800 miles in just 9 days, an absolutely wearisome trip!

Helping Ronald McDonald House Charities

But, Staub isn’t hitting the road just for pleasure. An avid automotive enthusiast, Staub is using his trip as a way to raise funds for the Ronald McDonald House in Palo Alto, California. Ronald McDonald House Charities was founded by the hamburger chain and whose mission “is to create, find and support programs that directly improve the health and well being of children.”

Among the many benefits offered by the Ronald McDonald House is temporary housing for families whose children are being cared for by a local medical facility. Oftentimes, children must be treated many miles away from home if they have a life threatening illness. By providing housing and other services a Ronald McDonald House removes a cost prohibitive burden off the backs of impacted families.

Staub won’t be setting out on his journey until September 8th, which gives him some time to raise the $100,000 he wants to give to the Ronald McDonald House through donations which are being received through his site or by sending a check directly to the organization. Once he is on the road, you can follow Staub’s progress online as well as track the amount of money raised for the charity.

For additional information visit 49in9.com and take a look at the following video which tells what Staub is planning to do: