Update: ....Well.....with encouragement from Clarence Merko and myself the local newspaper "The Chronicle Journal" did a bang-up job in the Wednesday Aug. 28, 2013 paper....one week after their arrival. Thanks to Greg Giddens at the CJ.
Dirk and Trudy Regter from Holland have taken upon themselves to tour the world in a 1915 Ford Model T Touring to raise funds for a wonderful cause, the SOS Children's Villages "a loving home for every child".
I had a "head's up" from George Rogers in Winnipeg that the tour would be passing through Thunder Bay from Thursday Aug 22 through Monday Aug 26. I had called Clarence Merko and a few members of the Lakehead Antique Car Club and others locally to help with the welcome. The car was at the local cruise night sponsored by Canadian Tire on this past Thursday evening, to the joy of everyone in attendance.
Here is a photo of Dirk and Trudy taken on Aug.22.
For some insight on what the SOS Children's Villages is all about, click on these 2 separate links then come back to see the rest of the photos and story.
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| This is the driver's side of Dirk's Ford Model T showing some equipment used on the long journey. |
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By clicking on this to enlarge it, you can see in black where they have gone so far and in brown where they still have to travel. They have already been all through the Mediterranean area and all the way through parts of central and South Africa, then had the car shipped to Houston Texas to start the western United States tour then up into Canada and so far to here in Thunder Bay, Ontario. They will be continuing on to eastern Canada then down into the USA to Hershey Pennsylvania, on to the Henry Ford Museum in Detroit, then Chicago and points south....then Mexico, South America...back to New Zealand and Australia.............then you can follow the rest on the map.
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You can follow Dirk and Trudy on the Model T World Tour Website here http://www.tfordworldtour.org/
...and if you feel you'd like to make a donation to their cause you can do so on their website!!
This is a front and back copy of their business card. Be sure to click on these and all the photos for enlargements.
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| The decals and medallions are from different clubs and organizations during their tour. |
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| Here is Dirk placing a decal on his windshield from a local car club - the NOCC. |
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| A front shot of the car. |
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| One final thumbs up photo from Dirk and Trudy. |
As you will see when you read the links above, this is an incredibly worthwhile endeavor and all the car guys and gals in Thunder Bay salute Dirk and Trudy for what they have accomplished and wish them well on the rest of their three year journey. If you have time and if they are there, go say hello to Dirk and Trudy at the Trowbridge Falls Campground. As far as I know they are leaving for the east on Monday morning, Aug 26, 2013. NOTE: With a change of plans, Dirk, Trudy and their new crew Barry and Dennis will leave Monday Sept. 2, 2013 for Chicago and St. Louis, and hopefully return to Canada at a later date.
NOTE:
ONE FINAL ADDITION TO THIS POST AS FOLLOWS:
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Dirk
Regter's Model T is getting him in places. While touring in California Jay Leno
hopped on board and had Dirk explain to him about the alterations he made to make
the Model T a highly reliable world travelling machine. They had a great time
when Jay gave the Model T Worldtour team a private tour in his well appointed Garage. He owns
almost anything and everything you can imagine on wheels. A slightly
painful moment came up when Jay became really excited and made Dirk an
offer on his high end Model T. Dirk promptly said, "Well a man can't own
everything...."
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