IF you ask me, any excuse to go on a treasure hunt rallying around Europe for four days with 60 or 70 people and ending up in a five star hotel is a pretty good one. When that excuse is raising money for Jersey Hospice Care, even better.
Earlier this year we took 31 cars from Jersey to Monaco; from taxis and VW Transporters to Ferraris and Aston Martins, a rag tag bunch of adventurers flew around the French countryside, looking for clues, eating good food, going to Casinos and having paper aeroplane throwing competitions. We had a fantastic time and (I think I speak for everyone who went when I say) we?re excited about the launch of next year?s Rally. After the success of Monaco we?ve decided to push the numbers up a bit to allow even more people to get involved. On June 26th 2009, 40 cars, each filled with a pair of Rally stars, will set off from Elizabeth Harbour and put their brains and their driving skills to the test for four days.
The Gallery Rally – Barcelona will drive through quiet and sleepy French villages, way off the beaten track, following clues of maddening complexity. They will eventually take a perilous drive across the Pyrenees and end up in 5 star splendour in Barcelona on June 29th.
The purpose of the rally is to have fun and raise money for one of the Island?s best-loved charities, Jersey Hospice Care, which has just celebrated its 25th anniversary. Jersey Hospice Care is a specialist palliative nursing service, providing holistic care for cancer and motor neurone disease patients. Although it costs more than £2 million to run Jersey Hospice Care every year, it receives no funding from the States of Jersey and relies entirely on the generosity of the public.
In addition, this year we are offering reduced rates at a luxury resort 30 miles from Barcelona where contestants can unwind and relax for a couple of days before returning to Jersey.
