Route 66 takes center stage this month when “The Great American Road Rally,” a national television event celebrating America’s iconic highway through cars, celebrities, storytelling and philanthropy, premieres on The CW Network.
The series premieres today and continues through its finale, scheduled for Nov. 25, the night before Thanksgiving. Throughout the series, viewers will be invited to make donations to participating charitable organizations, including The Route 66 Road Ahead Partnership.
Funds raised for partnership will help support businesses, entrepreneurs and attractions along Route 66 through initiatives that include its Preservation & Economic Development Grant Program.
The Road Ahead Partnership works across the eight Route 66 states to preserve, promote and strengthen the historic highway and ensure it remains a vibrant destination for future generations.
Through the PED Grant Program, the organization provides financial support to businesses and entrepreneurs whose work contributes to the preservation and economic vitality of the Mother Road.
“Route 66 has always been about the people who live, work and dream along the road,” said Bill Thomas, chairman of The Route 66 Road Ahead Partnership. “The Great American Road Rally provides an extraordinary opportunity to introduce those stories to a national audience while helping generate the resources needed to support the businesses and attractions that keep Route 66 alive. Every dollar raised can help make a tangible difference in communities along the Mother Road as we look toward its next 100 years.”
The impact of that support can be seen through grant recipients such as the Blue Swallow Motel in Tucumcari, New Mexico. A 2023 Route 66 Extraordinary Women Micro-Grant recipient, the motel received $2,000 to help repair its historic neon signage after a damaging hailstorm.
At the Blue Swallow Motel, preservation is a responsibility and a labor of love. Dawn Federico, who bought the motel with her husband, Rob, in June 2020, knows firsthand what it takes to protect one of Route 66’s most iconic landmarks.
Through the Route 66 Road Ahead Partnership’s Route 66 Extraordinary Women Micro-Grant Program, the Federicos received support to help offset an unexpected cost associated with restoring the motel’s historic neon in 2023.
“The grant also provides recognition for small business owners along Route 66 who are keeping the Mother Road alive with their time, dedication, love and investment,” she said.
“Preserving the Blue Swallow Motel means safeguarding an inimitable piece of Americana. As one of the best-preserved motor courts in the USA, it paints a picture of a very specific time in America, one which cannot be recreated today; a simpler time when motor travel was a very exciting chapter. For the community, keeping the neon glowing helps bring travelers from around the world to Tucumcari’s well-preserved stretch of time capsule on Route 66.
“If Route 66 is to be celebrated and traveled in the next 100 years, we must do everything we can to preserve and protect the Mother Road and her stories.
“Grants such as the Route 66 Extraordinary Women Micro-Grants Program provide business owners opportunities to improve their footprint on Route 66. Owners of establishments on Route 66 invest their time, heart and dollars into preserving these precious icons, allowing travelers to explore, learn and enjoy taking a step back in time.”
In Luther, Oklahoma, the Threatt Filling Station has received $12,500 through grants awarded in 2022 and 2023.
The funding supported the retention of a historic preservation architect and restoration and interpretation of what is purported to be the only African American-owned and operated filling station along Route 66 during the Jim Crow era.
“Support for places like the Threatt Filling Station is essential to telling the true and full story of the Mother Road. By investing in the revitalization of the Threatt Filling Station and the Threatt Family Farm’s community grounds, we are preserving an often-untold Route 66 story for future generations” said Ed Threatt of the station.
“The station was a safe haven for people of color, but it also served anyone in need, earning the trust of organizations including Conoco, Greyhound and the American Red Cross. Preserving these places allows us to recognize the people, businesses and communities that made Route 66 what it was—and ensure their stories remain part of what Route 66 becomes over the next 100 years.”
For more information about The Route 66 Road Ahead Partnership, go to route66roadahead.org.