A penny a mile will make our Great Race greater

The Hemmings Speedster on the 2014 Great Race.

Since 2009, our fearless publisher, Jim Menneto, has piloted our 1932 Ford boattail speedster all over America’s highways and byways on The Great Race (and before that, he ran our 1934 humpback Dodge). While it’s more of a timed rally than an actual race, it’s no doubt “Great” and this year, we plan to double-down on that feature.

Every summer, a traveling circus of dozens of antique and classic cars carefully traverse a different public road course over several thousand miles in a contest of precision driving, timing and good sportsmanship, all from the cockpits of some of the most unique old cars ever assembled. And every year, the Hemmings speedster is one of the most well-known ambassadors of goodwill in the field of cars.

But this year, we’re adding something special to Jim and his team’s campaign: a fundraising goal for Alzheimer’s Association. Donate a penny per mile – just one cent for every mile the Hemmings speedster covers – and it’ll all go to the Alzheimer’s Association’s  “The Longest Day” fundraiser. Our team will be struggling to survive the entire 2,351-mile race (hey, it’s vintage race car technology – it  should never just be assumed!) and you’ll donate $23.51 to a great cause. If the Gods Of Speed have a different plan for us, well, at least we raised some money for one of our favorite causes.

Happen to be in the neighborhood of our Bennington, Vermont headquarters this month? The Longest Day will also be our featured charity for all of our Hemmings Cruise-Ins in June, so come on over and give generously. No plans to be nearby? No sweat – all of our club member events are also opportunities to donate to such a worthy cause that affects so many Americans.

Get involved in a great cause that makes The Great Race even greater, and pledge to support The Longest Day!