Project “Aardvark” Takes Off on Route 66 Road Trip

Project “Aardvark” is finally ready to roll down Route 66 for a charity drive! Meet up with John P. this Saturday, May 4th at 9:00am in Centennial Park, Frankfort, IL for the Kickoff and CFF Great Strides Event. Join 200+ charity supporters and take part in an informal car show with refreshments provided.

Longtime Factory Five customer, John P. is currently driving project “Aardvark” to meet up with Col. Gale one last time before taking off on the long road trip joined by his two cousins. If you haven’t been following along with its progress, what makes this Mk4 Roadster build special is that it is dedicated to Col. Gale L., a retired Air Force pilot who couldn’t finish it due to health issues. John named the car Aardvark after the F-111 bomber aircraft. 

The drive on Route 66 aims to fundraise for Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Team Boomer and Colorectal Cancer Alliance. Aardvark will rack up 5-6,000 miles, continuing a legacy of FFR travels! The graphic on the driver side door is a nod to Cystic Fibrosis “Sixty-Five-Roses” as a constant reminder of what they are driving for. 

John’s inspiration for the trip took root over the years as he met more members of the car community. He says, “I’ve met wonderful folks who have suffered misfortune and health problems, and can use some help. That’s a big reason why my car-crazy cousins and I have developed a plan to combine our love of cars and driving around this fantastic country with raising money for the worthy charities detailed on our website. Maybe we can help make life a little better for some folks we’ve not met yet!”

John is currently meeting up with Col. Gale before taking off for the trip, but his next stop will be this Saturday, when the drive kicks off at the CF Foundation Great Strides Event in Centennial Park Frankfort, IL at 9:00am. John says, “everyone is invited to join us and about 200 other supporters at this charity event! One of our sponsors, Route 66 Sodas, is supplying refreshments. We hope to have a few cool cars join us for an informal car show and photo opportunity!”

The stops along the route include May 4, Frankfort, IL: Great Strides Event; May 7, Arcadia, OK: POP’s Soda Shop and Cafe; May 11, Albuquerque, NM: Law Enforcement Memorial Bike Ride & UNM Children’s Hospital; and May 18, Santa Monica, CA: Children’s Hospital of LA, “Walk and Play”.

More event details can be found at https://c3on66.org/events/.