On the 25th Feb, 2020, Father and Son (Michael and Jay Armitage) will set out on an epic road trip adventure from NYC on the East Coast to Los Angeles on the West Coast of America. Route 66, 10 stops, 52.23 hrs of driving, 3,179 miles, an estimated $372 in gas and one third the carbon emissions of flying. They will be driving their cherished Porsche 911 (1995 model 993) and aim to arrive in Los Angeles (Malibu) for Jay’s birthday on the 4th of March, 2020. it will be his 51st birthday, Michael is 76 going on 77 years old.

The car has a long history with Michael who is shipping it from the UK. He acquired the car in 1995, after owning a Porsche 944 (which both of his sons crashed and finally wrote off) he replaced it with a 944 Turbo (which neither son was allowed to drive) and then finally took delivery of his dream car, the pristine silver 911 he had always wanted. Shortly after on a wintery and dark November night arriving home from work, Michael was attacked and hit over the head by thieves and the car was stolen. However, they didn’t make it very far after damaging the rear end and they had to abandon the car a mile up the road to make their escape on foot. At this point most sane men would have given up on their Porsche dreams and bought something a little more sensible, but not Michael. The car was repaired and returned as his daily driver for years to come. He loved every second of it. However all good things must come to an end and Michael now feels the time is right (and enough water has passed under the bridge after the 944 incident) to hand the car down to his son Jay who now lives in sunny California where the climate is perfect for the 911. 

One thing can be said about Michael, he takes great care of  his belongings and the 911 was no exception. The car is in superb condition having been garaged and hand washed every Sunday religiously whilst listening to the Archers on BBC Radio 4. He will be sad to see the car go but knows it is in good hands, going to love the Californian sunshine and he can use it whenever he visits and feel the power of the open road whilst cruising along the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu.

Michael is funding the entire cost of the adventure so that all monies donated (save for the small fee charged by Just Giving) will go to Martin House.

THE CHARITY

Whilst embarking on our journey, we are raising funds to support Martin House which believes that every child and young person should have access to palliative care when and where they need it. Martin House helps babies, children and young people with a life-limiting condition to live well and fully, offering the best possible end of life care and support to the family in bereavement.

Since 1987, Martin House has supported thousands of families across Yorkshire and make a real difference to people’s lives. Every year it cares for more than 420 children and young people along with supporting more than 150 bereaved families. Its approach is holistic and family-led; not only offering home-from-home respite stays, but emergency care and symptom control, along with end of life care. Martin House has 15 bedrooms and all of its care is provided at no cost to any of the families using its services.

It takes a dedicated 200-strong specialist care team to run Martin House; all bringing their expertise to ensure children’s needs are met. The hospice is open 24/7, and its doctors are always on call to help families in need of advice and support.

Only a small fraction of Martin House’s costs are met from statutory sources.

If you would like to find out more about Martin House please visit www.martinhouse.org.uk