Or, “I need my heated seats!”
Well, it’s officially winter time here in southeast Pennsylvania. Usually, winter is a dreary, lonely time for avid motorcyclists, as we grow too intolerant of discomfort, and avoid riding in the bitter cold. Ever since I picked up my Subaru Forester in 2006, winter time has given me something else to look forward to: four-wheeling off-road and in the snow!
One particular event I went to last year has me looking forward to this coming January 15-18th (2009), during the height of winter’s chill. The 48 Hours of Tri-State was started seven years ago by a few guys from NASIOC, as a weekend Subaru drive. It quickly evolved into a charity fund-raising event, complete with a raffle dinner and corporate support - Subaru of America invited us to breakfast last year, and also matched all individual contributions.
This year, the 8th annual 48Hrs event is again benefitting the American Cancer Society, and the goal is to raise $8,000. Subaru of America is hosting breakfast and showing off some of their custom-built models from the recent SEMA show; Subaru Distributors Corp is hosting lunch; a tour of Vermont Sports Car is planned, where SOA has their world rally cars built and prepped; and we have thousands of dollars’ worth of sponsored goodies to give away at the raffle dinner in Lake George, NY. No off-roading is planned, as this event is more of a road-trip than a rally, but we’re sure to see some snowy conditions in Vermont and upstate New York.
It’s not the same as dragging your toes through a corner with your buddies, but there’s something exciting about taking a competent all-wheel-drive vehicle into unexpected weather conditions, and sometimes (intentionally and controllably) getting it sideways on an icy back road. Doing that with 35 other folks, and raising money to fight cancer at the same time, just makes it worth waiting for. And the electrically-heated seats make it quite comfortable.
If you want to join us in your Subaru, check out the 48 Hrs registration page and sign up. If you wish to support our cause and make a contribution to the American Cancer Society, you can do so in two ways. You can buy raffle tickets at $10/each (to win Subaru-related parts, services and other products) by donating through our main team page on the ACS website. Or, you can donate through my individual page; your donation here buys my raffle tickets, for those that don’t want them for themselves. 100% of all donations go to the American Cancer society.