The World’s Greatest Earthmover – a.k.a.: a bright yellow JCB 3CX backhoe loader – has hit the road on a 26-day, coast-to-coast fundraising “road trip” to help rebuild Haiti. JCB, one of the word’s largest manufacturers of construction equipment, hopes the “Backhoe Across America” cross-country campaign will both remind Americans that Haiti’s long road to recovery is only just beginning, and encourage them to show their continued support – either by visiting one of the 11 featured route stops or by visiting http://www.JCBForHaiti.com to make a donation. JCB aims to help raise $1 million for the American Red Cross Haiti Relief and Development Fund.
No Ordinary Road Trip
The JCB 3CX backhoe loader will begin its coast-to-coast trek from the beach at Tybee Island, Ga., on Friday, March 26, 2010. The backhoe then will travel more than 3,000 miles across the U.S., making fundraising “pit stops” at JCB dealerships in nine cities along the way, before reaching its final destination – the beach at California’s Santa Monica Pier – on April 20, 2010.
“Haiti’s road to recovery will be long and difficult,” said John Patterson, chairman and CEO, JCB Inc. “On behalf of everyone at JCB, we hope that the miles traveled and donations secured during Backhoe Across America will help ease the burden of the journey that lies ahead for this devastated nation.”
No Ordinary Backhoe
On a recent episode of the National Geographic and Discovery Channel show, ‘Greatest Ever’, the JCB backhoe was ranked number-one on a list of the “Greatest Ever Earthmovers.” With the Backhoe Across America campaign, JCB will put the Worlds Greatest Earthmover to an even greater test to see just how far a bucketful of charity can go to help the Haitian people rebuild their lives.
JCB invented the backhoe loader in 1953; today, the company is the world’s leading manufacturer of this versatile and reliable job-site solution, producing almost one out of every two backhoes sold worldwide. In keeping with the company’s long tradition of assisting disaster-relief efforts around the world, JCB already has donated two backhoe loaders in response to Haiti’s immediate recovery needs. And, most recently, JCB pledged to provide $100,000 worth of backhoe equipment for Chile’s earthquake victims.
No Ordinary Driver
JCB veteran employee Neil Smith will be the man behind the wheel as the backhoe makes its way across America. When Neil was growing up in Rocester, England, he walked by a large factory on his way to school each and every day. That factory was JCB’s World Headquarters. Not surprisingly, Neil dreamed of operating JCB’s signature bright yellow machines – but he had no way of knowing that the family-owned manufacturer would play a major role in his life for many years to come.
Now in his 37th year with JCB, Neil will operate the 3CX machine from start to finish, traveling at speeds up to 30 mph on secondary roads, which, by law, must be used throughout the trek due to the backhoe’s maximum speed limitations.
Tour Stops
March 26th…………………Tybee Island GA
March 30th…………………Atlanta, GA
April 1st……………………..Montgomery, AL
April 7th…………………….Baton Rouge, LA
April 9th…………………….Houston, TX
April 10th…………………..Dallas, TX
April 12th…………………..Lubbock, TX
April 16th…………………..Phoenix, AZ
April 19th…………………..Fontana, CA
April 20th…………………..Finish Line Party at the Santa Monica Pier
The Dirt 