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Prepping the Victory Tour

Last week, Karla and I launched our adventure by way of an end-to-end drive down Woodward Ave in Detroit: Michigan's Main Street, or, by the numbers: M-1.

Next up is Highway 2, which in Michigan is US-2, which spans almost the entire Upper Peninsula, East to West. But that one is going to have to come after some planning and fundraising . . .

Which brings us to M-3: Gratiot Avenue. This will be half of tomorrow's route (Friday, August 18). The starting point is up just north of Chesterfield, and the road terminates at the end point of The Lodge Freeway in downtown Detroit. I'm sure the evolving plan will include a lengthy stop at Hart Plaza and maybe lunch.

There used to be an M-4, but it is now defunct. So, from downtown, we will pick up M-5, or Grand River Avenue, wherever Karla advises. As I understand it, the formal starting point is at the I-96 intersection west of the Davison Freeway. But if we see any signage along the way, indicating M-5 east of 96, we will start there. It will take us all the way up past Farmington Hills, to Pontiac Trail.

So that, if you trace tomorrow's planned route, it will form a giant V figure over the top of Detroit. V for "Victory." We all want to win.

This is a feel-good project. It's what we all should be doing, instead of arguing and choosing sides.

I am raising funds via this project, which shall be divided three ways:


  • 1/3: To cover the costs of the By The Numbers Project
  • 1/3: Towards the Hudson Education Center and expansion of the arts for youth in Southeastern Michigan; and maybe . . . some joint ventures between rural, suburban, and urban kids.
  • 1/3: To create a scholarship program for a large extended family group, which will then adopt at-risk families into the fold, so that they too may benefit from scholarship dollars.

Over time, I will set up an on-line fundraising capability which will be administered by a 501(c)3.

See you in Detroit tomorrow!

p.s. Karla and I talked about how cool it would be, when we get to the US-2 drive, to be able to hand off to a similar pairing of people, at the Michigan-Wisconsin Border, that will then commence their own by-the-numbers drive throughout their state. But I can't make this happen! Gonna need help!



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