On a warm morning in late September 2013, an intrepid group of fundraisers gathered at Parenta’s Head Office, ready to embark on a five-day trip of a lifetime. The aim was to raise enough money for The Parenta Trust to start building its first pre-school in Uganda.
In the preceding weeks, each team had used £350 to buy a road legal car that would (hopefully!) see them through the 2,200 mile trip from Maidstone to Monaco….and back. 40 people took part and each of the 12 teams arrived with a car decorated for the occasion; we had the A Team van, Grease Lightning, the Batmobile, a furry Volvo, and an array of other imaginative designs.
After a smooth ferry crossing, the cars made their way south through Europe, passing through six countries before arriving in Monaco. En route, they wound through the Alps, tackling the Furka Pass, one of the region’s most dangerous roads. A high point (quite literally) was when the convey stopped for lunch at the foot of the spectacular Mont Blanc.
To add a twist to the journey, the organisers came up with Top Gear style challenges, resulting in photographs of cars with all four wheels in the air, team members posing on car roofs at a border control and even some tree climbing.
Practical jokes were also a feature of the rally. One group enjoyed a ‘sparkling’ day after being showered with glitter that had been sneakily poured into the air vents.
All this fun led to a fantastic total of £15,000 being raised for the Parenta Trust, which meant work could start a month later on the first pre-school.
We’d like to say a massive thank you to all those who took part, making it such a memorable and worthwhile trip.
Now to plan next year’s adventure...