American couple Kim and Mitch McCullough are running their 1972 Porsche 911 in the East African Safari Classic Rally in an effort to raise funding for wildlife organizations in Kenya. Tourism in the region collapsed due to COVID-19 and as a result devastated donations for conservation.
The Safari Rally dates back to 1953 and is now restricted to cars manufactured before 1985. This is the 10th year that it’s been limited to classic cars and as of this writing the 9-day rally has reached its halfway point. It will cover an area of almost 5,000 km while crossing borders between Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.
It has been Mitch’s dream to compete in the the rally and he and his wife Kim created their own “Rally for Tusk” campaign to generate awareness and donations. Tusk is a UK-based organization that supports existing wildlife programs in Africa that have proven success records. The donations will be matched by the McCulloughs through their donation page.
“We want to support local conservation efforts through Tusk’s mission which has been formed to amplify the impact of conservation initiatives across Africa by supporting the most effective local organizations, investing in their in-depth knowledge and expertise,” said Mitch. “The conservation projects provide not just protection for Africa’s wildlife, but livelihoods and wellbeing for thousands of people across the continent.”
The East Africa Safari Rally is 2,600 miles and unpaved stages make up more than 1,200 miles. It is a grueling event for the driver and co-driver. The McCullough’s 1972 Porsche 911 was prepared by UK-based Tuthill Porsche.
“As we motor through Kenya, we want to contribute to successful conservation programs so the wildlife in Kenya is here for future generations,” said Kim McCullough. “There is a lot of great news for wildlife in Kenya thanks to the amazing work that has been done by organizations Tusk supports, such as the Big Life Foundation, Tsavo Trust, and the Reteti Elephant Sanctuary.”
Such a grate initiative we need more of this..