McHenry man driving his tractor to Wyoming to benefit vets charity
He's seen "Today Show" co-host Meredith Vieira raise money for the Special Olympics by taking the "penguin plunge" into Vermont's freezing Lake Champlain.
Bob Brownell, 74, of McHenry also watched as Ann Curry, the show's newsreader, bungee-jumped more than 100 feet off a bridge in England after viewers raised $10,000 for a pair of charities.
Now, the grandfather of four says he's embarking on an extreme adventure of his own to benefit his charity of choice, Cary AMVETS Post 245, which raises money to help cover local veterans' medical bills.
"I thought if all these celebrities and news people can do all these things for their charities, why can't this little guy who nobody knows do the same thing for his charity?" Brownell said.
Brownell's big adventure begins next Saturday and involves piloting the back roads between McHenry and his son Bob Jr.'s home in Laramie, Wyo.
The catch? He's taking the road trip solo in a 39-year-old Ford 4300 tractor that reaches a top speed of 15 mph on flat land.
It's a vehicle he and his son bought for $3,000 and refurbished nine years ago. The younger Brownell says he'll use it to maintain his property.
After spending time with his son, the elder Brownell will make the return trip in the pickup truck he'll drag along with him to Wyoming -- probably taking a little off that 15 mph top speed.
He expects the trip to burn up between two and three weeks of time -- and a lot of fuel.
"When you get to be my age, you don't have to be quite as frugal because this is going to be an adventure for me and I don't know how many adventures I have left in me," said Brownell , former owner of Cary Dairy.
AMVETS Post Cmdr. Gary Foster calls the endeavor "pretty cool" and can't recall a more unusual fundraiser in the organization's 45-year history.
Brownell was drafted into the Army at the end of the Korean War in 1953.
He spent two years driving military vehicles, including tanks, jeeps and trucks in Missouri, Arkansas and Washington.
His love of driving has never subsided, said Phyllis Brownell, his wife of 52 years.
Her husband once flew to Australia for the sole purpose of driving a truck train -- a semitrailer truck with three long semi trailers attached to it -- in the Outback, she said.
He's gone on similar expeditions in Alaska, Mexico and Canada, she said, noting she's adjusted to his free spirit and isn't nervous about his upcoming trip, since he'll be carrying a cell phone.
"If he breaks down, then he breaks down and he'll call," she said matter of factly.
How to help
All the proceeds Bob Brownell raises from his road trip to Wyoming go toward supporting Cary AMVETS Post 245. None will be used to finance his trip.
• Please make all checks payable to Cary AMVETS Post 245.
• Mail them to Bob Brownell, 4300 Giant Oak Drive, McHenry, IL 60051