News
Peking to Paris Raises Money for The Printing Charity
Robert McClements, Chief Executive of Print Yorkshire, to take part in the Peking to Paris Car Rally to raise money for The Printing Charity
12 Aug 2010
Robert McClements, Print Yorkshire’s Chief Executive, is taking part in the 2010 Peking to Paris Car Rally to help raise £25,000 for The Printing Charity.
Reading “The Mad Motorists”, the riveting account of the 1907 challenge to take a horseless carriage from Peking to Paris captivated Robert as a 14-year old boy. Invited by Garrick Staples, an American entrant in this year’s rally, to be his co-driver and navigator in a 1959 VW convertible, Robert will be fulfilling his boyhood dream and raising money for our work at the same time.
He says: “I’m excited and nervous but conditions will be better than those in 1907 when there were no roads to follow for the first 5,000 miles, no maps and no petrol stations en route. In fact, no one was expected to survive but they did.
“If you would like to sponsor me on this epic journey, you can do so online here or by calling +44 (0)1293 542 820. The printing industry has been a significant part of my life, so this is a great opportunity for me to support the industry’s charity.”
Stephen Gilbert, our Chief Executive, says: “We’re delighted that Robert has chosen us to benefit from his participation in this adventure of a lifetime. People will be able to follow his rally progress via his blog on our website.”
Drivers will set off from the Great Wall of China on 10 September, travelling across the Gobi Desert, through Mongolia into Russia, Iran, Turkey, Greece, and Italy to arrive 37 days and 10,000 miles later at the Place de la Concorde in Paris.
Pictured: Robert McClements (L) and Garrick Staples (R) with the 1959 VW convertible they’ll be driving