UPDATE: Organizers have announced that the planned 19th annual Highway to Mexico has been postponed until September.
“It is with mixed emotions to let everyone know that we have postponed this year’s project to September due to the Corona Virus and its impact on travel,” said officials in a statement on Facebook. We will now leave Grande Prairie on September 4th and get to Mazatlan on September 11th. Our permits are valid until the end of the year and we now look forward to seeing our friends in Mexico later on this year!”
For the 19th year, 20 Grande Prairie Rotarians are gearing up to take part in a week-long drive as part of the Highway to Mexico project. Making the 5,500 kilometre trip to Mazatlan, Mexico will be one aerial fire truck, one fire pumper truck, an ambulance, a school bus, and a HandiBus.
Highway to Mexico is a joint project between the Swan City and Grande Prairie Rotary Clubs along with clubs in Edmonton, Edson, Fairview and Peace River. Co-ordinator Felix Seiler says they continue to do this every year because it feels good to see the equipment being used.
Seiler adds one of the pieces of equipment making the drive is actually a repeat from the 2019 trip.
“The aerial truck is the same one we took down last year, but it blew a gasket in Montana, so we brought it back here, fixed it up and it’s a second chance for that truck.”
Seiler says the group continues to look forward to this trip every year because it feels good to see the equipment being used. That has been made easier thanks to social media.
“We can see it on a daily basis because a lot of the firefights and drivers are on Facebook, so we can see on a pretty well daily basis as to what’s happening.”
The 19th Rotary “Highway to Mexico” project will head out on March 20th at 6:00 a.m. from the Four Mile Corner.