ITHACA, N.Y. — Around 80 sports cars, muscle cars and other “unique rides” will rev up and set off from Downtown Ithaca early Tuesday morning as part of an event held by Rally North America. The drivers are on a three-day, 1,200-mile scavenger hunt that goes from Erie, Pennsylvania, to Old Orchard Beach, Maine. They will set off at 7:30 a.m. Tuesday, July 9, from North Cayuga Street in Ithaca.
The car rally event — Insure.it Rally New England 2019 — has 80 teams of two or more people and will stop at two racing venues, including Watkins Glen International and New England Dragway. There are 21 stops along the route that are kept a secret from the drivers until the day of and are chosen for their historical or aesthetic value. Monday’s stops included Coudersport Ice Mine in Coudersport, Pennsylvania; the Zippo Case Museum in Bradford, Pennsylvania; and Watkins Glen International Raceway in Watkins Glens, New York.
For commuters Tuesday, note that North Cayuga Street between Court and Seneca streets will be closed from 7 to 9 a.m. Tuesday, July 9.
The event is held each year to raise donations from participants, businesses and corporations to a charity, and the 2019 race is dedicated to Camp Sunshine. Camp Sunshine is a year-round retreat center where children with life-threatening illnesses can enjoy recreational activities with their families, free of charge. The camp has on-site medical and psychosocial care as well.
Tuesday’s event starts in Ithaca and will finish in Poughkeepsie, New York. By Thursday, they will end up in Maine at the New England Dragway and Old Orchard Beach, Maine.
The event’s goal was to raise $125,000 for Camp Sunshine, and according to the event’s fundraising page, teams raised over $200,000 for the cause.
Rally North America holds similar events in other regions of the United States and Canada. The organization is a not-for-profit that has raised over a million dollars since its creation in 2009.