Route 66 Alliance lays out its goals

This was mostly reported a few days ago at the Route 66 Festival in Flagstaff, Ariz., but I’m printing this news release that came today verbatim, with minor editing:

Route 66 Alliance
Tulsa, Oklahoma

We are pleased to officially announce the Route 66 Alliance has been established as a 501(c)3 corporation. Our nonprofit status is founded under the Tulsa Community Foundation and headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma. As of today September 12, 2009, we are active and open for business.

The Route 66 Alliance was formed to give the route one unified voice. Although there are eight state associations who are concerned with preserving and promoting Route 66, none of the individual associations can speak for the entire road.

The Alliance plans to work closely with each of the eight state associations and include all eight presidents on the Alliance advisory council. Through the Alliance, all eight associations can work in unison to address state specific projects and local needs in coordination for the betterment of all.

The Mission of the Alliance is to be the national and international voice for the entire road and its communities. We are dedicated to preserve and restore the Route 66 of the past and promote and provide for the future of  the route.

The Goal of the Alliance is to promote Route 66 by developing, supporting and coordinating projects and programs that protect the past and look forward to its future. The first three projects have been designed with this in mind and they will be developed over the next six months with contributions from “Founding Members.”

They Are as Follows:
The legacy Fund: The mission of the Legacy fund is to collect capital from private donations, government grants and our profit-producing programs that support and promote commerce along Route 66. The fund will generate financial support to the route and its people through interest earned on capital deposits. A constant underlying goal of the fund will be public goodwill by serving our people and moving The Mother Road towards the status of a national monument.

The Passport Program: The Passport Program is a self- sustaining promotional program designed around tourism. Its primary goal is connectivity of travelers and places along Route 66.  It will introduce new users to the history of the route. It will identify icons, businesses and places of interest for the traveler using the most current electronic technology. While promoting business along the route, the Passport Program will also identify the demographic makeup of our current and future users. It will identify markets along the route as well as coordinate product distribution. It will track and define those products and services with the highest demand.

The Electric Highway: Certainly the most aggressive program proposed! The Electric Highway proposes 18 to 26 recharging stations connecting L.A to Chicago. The “SLAB LAB,” as we call it, will be the first of its kind in the nation. Each of the 18 to 26 “Green Choice “66” recharging stations will make the semi-transcontinental trip available to those vehicles wanting to use alternative forms of renewable and nonrenewable energy. “The Route 66 laboratory” will be open to all companies, corporations and individuals worldwide who would like to showcase, test, prove or display their inventions by “Running the Rechargeable Route” from Chicago to L.A. The Alliance will be there to help support their efforts by using the media and the Mother Road (the most famous roadway in the world) to focus attention on their results towards the greening of our nation’s highway system.

Individual renewable sites will be sponsored by private donations, companies and corporations specifically seeking to promote technology or vehicles development that reduce the carbon footprint and use alternative forms of energy.

As we move into the future, the Mother Road, through our Alliance staff, will become the first clearinghouse of ideas, systems and information. We will reach out nation wide to disseminate the best ideas to help cities, counties and state governments co-ordinate an intelligent-grid system of renewable energy stations to our Main Street of America.

The “Electric Highway Program” will re-energize the nation’s attention toward the Mother Road. Increased traffic and exposure will in turn generate dollars and achieve a common-sense approach towards restoration and establishing new businesses along the route.

We ask for your support and contributions towards our “Founders Donations.” Initial donations are important, as they will be used as seed capital to develop The Passport Program and the Electric Highway Programs. These programs are designed to be self-sustaining and provide continual funding to the legacy foundation and the route for the foreseeable future.

Initial donations can be set up by contacting Jim Conkle at 760-617-3991 or  Rick Freeland at 301-908-8369.  We will keep all eight associations and the general populace current of our progress through direct and public press releases.

We are only as strong as our donations so please keep us in your hearts and minds.

James Conkle
Chair
Route 66 Alliance
P O Box 290066
Phelan, CA 92329-0066
www.rt66.org