Rally participants’ vehicles parked at the Minden Mill Distilling on Oct. 5 after returning from Sonoma.
Photo special to The R-C by Bill Reuter
Nineteen drivers ranging across a half-century in age participated in the Oct. 5 Sierra Nevada Drive for Parkinson’s Rally.
Starting at the Douglas County Community & Senior Center parking lot, passengers included twin 7-year-old sisters.
The largest car was a full-sized Ford Expedition, the smallest was also the oldest, a pristine dark brown 1971 280SL Mercedes-Benz roadster. Next oldest was a 1981 380SL Mercedes roadster. Late model cars included a pair of black eight-cylinder coupes, one a BMW the other a Mercedes. A Range Rover Sport, a brilliant Carrera Targa 4GTS, an Audi Cabriolet, a deep green Mustang Bullitt Edition, a 730hp 2023 Dodge Challenger Hellcat, and a trio of mid sized SUVs by Toyota, Lexus, and Subaru completed the four-wheel entries.
A new Harley-Davidson Road Glide motorcycle added its exhaust voice to the symphony of engine sounds departing the Parking lot about 8 a.m.
Three recommended rally routes took the motorists over Sonora Pass, Ebbetts Pass, or Carson Pass, all routes ending at the Sonora ranch studio of automobile artist Kelly Telfer.
The catered lunch, provided by a Gardnerville donor, was being laid out as the cars arrived. Following lunch regaled the drivers and passengers with anecdotes and stories of his life in art and automobiles.
On hand to share the duties of hostess were Telfer’s wife Beth Proudfoot and assistant Megan Crowley.
Several sufferers of Parkinson’s attended, while Telfer conducted a brief auction of a giclée print on canvas from his own collection and a Councours Bag of Griot’s products donated by Drive Toward a Cure, the 501c3 Parkinson’s organization that provided assistance to this first Sierra Nevada Drive for Parkinson’s Rally. Each participant was presented with a signed giclée print by Telfer as a remembrance of the rally.
Departing Sonora for the Carson Valley each driver again chose their own rally route ending at the Minden Mill Distilling where the Foley Family donated the exclusive use of the top floor tasting room for a few hours of adult restorative beverages from the Foley’s many vineyards, wineries, and distilleries.
A dozen other donors, who didn’t drive the rally, the Telfer household and organization, and the Foley Family, the day resulted in funds totaling over $6,000, all of which will be directed to Parkinson’s awareness and treatment with the Douglas County Parkinson’s Support Group and Parkinson’s Support Center of Northern Nevada.
