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British Car Enthusiasts Hit the Open Road to Raise Money for Camp Ho Mita Koda
By: Travis Hutchinson, Communications/PR intern

Drivers start your engines! More than 30 vintage British automobiles made their way through the winding roads of rural Ohio, West Virginia and Kentucky during the weekend of October 14 and 15, 2006. The 36-hour, 700-mile "America’s British Reliability Run" raised over $22,000 for Camp Ho Mita Koda.

To participate in the run, each team was responsible for raising $500 for each vehicle. In its four years of existence, over $110,000 has been raised for various charities throughout the United States.

The money raised this year will be donated to Camp Ho Mita Koda’s campership program. The campership program helps campers in need of financial assistance attend camp. "More than one-third of our campers receive some sort of financial assistance, which is why the campership program is so vital," said Jacquie Dickinson, President & CEO of Diabetes Association of Greater Cleveland, which owns and operates the camp.

"With the alarming rise in diabetes among children and teenagers, we expect that the need for camperships will continue to increase, as more people will need Camp Ho Mita Koda’s services. The proceeds from this year’s British Reliability Run will ensure that finances are not a barrier to attending camp for any child," Dickinson said.

This year’s run featured a wide variety of both vintage and ultra-modern automobiles. Richard and Carol Kress of Ohio drove their 1952 Bentley R-Type, while Rusty and Jennifer Blackwell of Michigan drove their 2007 Lotus Elise. Other cars participating the run were Triumphs, MGs, Jaguars, Bentleys, Austin Healeys and Minis.

The scenic drive began in Massillon. Using secondary roads, drivers headed toward West Virginia and Kentucky. In West Virginia, drivers and navigators stayed overnight and left early Sunday morning to finish the run back in Massillon.

"Most of the vehicles making the run will be more than 25 years old, but they get around with little difficulty and have the benefit of being much easier to fix at the roadside than their modern counterparts. Last year, 42 cars made the run and all but one finished without a problem," said event organizer Blake Discher.

Discher added, "The run is a great opportunity for British car enthusiasts to raise money for a very worthy cause and have fun while doing so."

To view photos from the event, and for more information, please visit For more information about America’s British Reliability Run, please visit www.abrr.org.