Here is a link to the story the Grand Rapids Harold-Review did on my mini-Stampede
http://www.grandrapidsmn.com/news/article_46fc5180-bde6-11e0-9266-001cc4c03286.html you have to be a paid subscriber to log in and see the entire story so I did a copy-n-paste below for all to see
Pintos stampeding in support of wounded vets By Lisa Rosemore Grand Rapids Herald-Review
Posted: Wednesday, August 3, 2011 12:00 pm
A Ford Pinto isn't exactly a car which comes to mind to most people when thinking about
classic cars. But Brian Campbell of Hibbing was at the Northern Cruisers Weekend of
Wheels Car Show on Saturday with six Ford Pintos to get the word out about the Pinto
Stampede and drum up support for the Wounded Warrior Project.
Before Campbell could sit down for a moment Saturday morning to speak about the Pinto
Stampede, a woman came up to him and gave him a huge hug as she thanked him for what
the Pinto Stampede is all about. She was overheard telling Campbell that she has one
son currently serving in the military and one who was disabled in the Iraq War.
Thank you, for all you're doing, she told him.
So how did a small group of Pinto enthusiasts turn a cross-country drive in honor of
the little car's 40th anniversary into a charity drive to support the Wounded Warrior
Project?
It started approximately two years ago, Campbell said. Norm Bagi, a Pennsylvania
resident and a member of the management council of the Pinto Car Club of America, came
up with the idea of celebrating the Pinto's 40th anniversary with a "stampede" of pony
cars. The ride would begin in Denver, Colo., on May 29, 2011 and finish in Carlisle,
Pa., at the Carlisle Ford Nationals the first weekend of June.
Within days, it was decided to make the stampede more meaningful by supporting a
charity, Campbell said. He said Bagi had visited one of the buildings he manages and
saw an office for the Wounded Warrior Project.
Bagi decided that was the cause to support, Campbell recalled.
The Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) was founded in Roanoke, Va., in 2003 and in 2006,
relocated to Jacksonville, Fla., according to information from the organization. It
began "when several veterans and friends, moved by stories of the first wounded service
members returning home from Afghanistan and Iraq, took action to help others in need.
"What started as a program to provide comfort items to wounded service members has
grown into a complete rehabilitative effort to assist warriors as they recover and
transition back to civilian life," according to the organization. "Tens of thousands of
wounded warriors and caregivers receive support each year through WWP programs designed
to nurture the mind and body, and encourage economic empowerment."
While some charity rides raise funds by taking pledges, the Pinto Stampede is a bit
different, Campbell explained. For example, if 50 Pintos drove 10,000 miles, the
Stampede would hope to raise $10,000 in donations to WWP.
"We never touch the money," Campbell said, adding that all donations are made directly
to WWP via a link on the Pinto Stampede website.
Campbell drove 2,955 miles of the Stampede in a 1977 Pinto with a 1965 pop-up camper in
tow, meeting up with the group in Monona, Wis. After taking part in that town's
Memorial Day parade - which included one Pinto from Canada - the Stampede made its way
to Indianapolis.
When they went to sleep that night, there were 24 Pintos as part of the Stampede,
Campbell said.
"We woke up to four more," he said, smiling.
One of the many stops the Stampede made was at the Flight 93 Memorial in Stoystown, Pa.
Campbell grew subdued as he spoke of how emotional the visit was for those on the
drive.
The Canadian driver in the group, Richard Metcalf, had a rare Pinto watch, which he
decided to raffle, Campbell said. The funds from the raffle were donated to the
memorial.
By the time the stampede arrived in Carlisle, there were more than 30 Pintos in the
group. On Friday, the first day of the show, there were almost 70 Pintos on the show
field, including local and East Coast Pinto owners
While the original Pinto Stampede drive is over, the effort continues. Campbell said
the Stampede is now attending car shows, such as the one in Grand Rapids, to publicize
their support of WWP and organize smaller Stampede events. One Pinto enthusiast, Jim
Madison of Rockford, Ill., drove his Pinto wagon to Grand Rapids for Weekend of Wheels.
"We want this to continue," Campbell said, adding that they want to raise awareness to
help all wounded warriors, those who have been injured both physically and mentally.
For Campbell, who is an avowed Pinto fanatic - he owns nine of the pony cars and even
has a website, cookieboystoys .com, devoted to his beloved Pintos - supporting WWP is
not about the cars, but about the cause. Both his grandfathers served in World War II,
one in the South Pacific and one in Germany where he was shot down and taken prisoner.
He puts all the time and effort into the Pinto Stampede in their honor, but also in
honor of his uncle, a Vietnam vet.
"He re-upped when they told him he could go home," Campbell said of his uncle. "When he
came back, he got spit on, he had to walk through protests. It messed him up."
Campbell took a deep breath.
"We have to make sure it doesn't happen again."
For more information on the Pinto Stampede, visit PintoStampede. com. For more
information on the Wounded Warrior Project, visit woundedwarrior project.org.
