Four year old Jack Sims of Portsmouth, United Kingdom, needs surgery to enable him to walk, due to Cerebral Palsy Spastic Deplegia. The cutting edge surgery can be performed at the Saint Louis Children’s Hospital, by Dr. Park, if enough funds can be raised. So three friends of the family have shipped their Classic Mini Coopers across the ocean, and are driving them about four thousand miles, raising funds as they go. The effort has snowballed, and the Mini Cooper community is taking them into their homes, setting up events as they come into cities, and escorting them along the route.
Inspired by the famous movie, The Italian Job, which featured (and, indeed, starred) three Classic Mini Coopers, these three inspiring men have started what will be the journey of a lifetime, to impact and improve the life of one small boy. Without their help, little Jack Sims will never walk without pain, or dance with a date, or play ball, or swim, as his twin brother can do. He will always be dependent on a walker, as his leg muscles continue to contract and tighten, month by month. With the surgery, his doctors have hopes that he can be made whole again. So Alex Charlton, Peter Price, and Dudley Brooke will drive in their tiny cars, asking Americans for help.
Beset by problems in the beginning due to an inept shipping agent, they have struggled to get their vintage Minis on the road. Upon arrival they were taken in by a volunteer 9/11 first responder in New Jersey, Larry Holloway. Larry has himself faced daunting obstacles ever since his rescue efforts on that terrible day, as his life continues to be impacted by health problems. However, he and his wife Jennifer opened their home, and offered their help to overcome a logistical nightmare. Although without the full time the Lads had hoped for, Larry finally got them on their way.
Their route takes them through Dayton, Ohio; Indianapolis, Indiana; Saint Louis, Missouri; Nashville, Tennessee; Atlanta, Georgia; Tampa, Florida; Miami, Florida; Daytona Beach, Florida; Myrtle Beach, Florida; Jacksonville, Florida; Charleston, South Carolina; Raleigh, South Carolina; and Washington, DC, before returning to New Jersey to fly home. Along the way, they will be meeting with individuals and groups who are organizing efforts on their own, to raise funds for Jack Sims and to spread the word about The American Job.
Their efforts, and the story of Jack, have energized the Mini Cooper community, and social media has gained them many followers.
www.theamericanjob.org
www.facebook.com/groups/theamericanjob/
Instagram: theamericanjob
Twitter: @theamericanjob
Jack’s donation page is: www.justgiving.com/theamericanjob/
Edited by Air2air, 15 April 2015 - 05:25 PM.