FORD RANGER OWNERS-THE BANNER IS HERE!

[B2-Bomber]

For those of you who know what "the banner" is, it will be here, and you will have a chance to sign it on Saturday the 19th @ 7:00pm

For those unfamiliar with the banner. http://therangerstation.com/forums/showthread.php?t=125957&highlight=banner

It is from therangerstation.com. one of the oldest (started in 1998), and largest off-road forums/online communities, it is dedicated to ford rangers, and RBVs (ranger based vehicles i.e. explorers, bronco II, mazda b-series etc.) You may have heard the name of that forum mentioned several times on the powerblock show "trucks" on the various episodes of "project rolling thunder".

3 years ago they had a banner (about 24" x 36") made up, and sent it to a ford ranger owner who lives in the tip of Maine. He then signed it with a marker, and handed it off to another ford ranger owner, the goal was to get the signatures of as many ranger/rbv owners on it as possible, while getting it to the west coast only being handed off (no shipping/mailing it) from ranger owner-to-ranger owner. it made it to the west coast that way

fast-forward to april 2012, they then decided to give the chance to all the others who didn't get a chance to sign it, so they printed another one, and it has been making its way from Alaska, to Key west. It is now Salt Lake's turn

After seeing that there were Canadian members who didn't get to participate in the last TRS banner event, and getting feedback from members that they would be willing to tackle another challenge, the idea of going from the furthest northern U.S. point (Alaska), to the furthest southern U.S. point (Key West, Florida) was born.

As difficult as the last adventure was, this one is going to be much harder. Alaska doesn't have the greatest highway system. Barrow Alaska would be the furthest point north, but the road there isn't easy. Just getting the banner out of Alaska and through Canada will be a big task in itself.

On 04/16/2012, I mailed the banner out to forum member crbnunit in Achorage Alaska. the reason I chose Alaska first was because I knew they would get it in the spring, and it would have spring and early-mid summer to get through Alaska and Canada. As the year passes, it will be moving towards a warmer climate and hopefully keep moving. If it starts in Florida, it will likely get stuck/stranded in Canada trying to get to Alaska due to winter.

The path that the banner takes is up to the members. It has to move in a direction that won't allow it to get stuck due to a lack of member participation.

The banner was mailed out with a letter detailing the challenge and a permanent marker. Members are asked to sign the banner with their name, location and date. They are also encouraged to take photos of the banner and the exchange from member to member, and post it in this thread.

In a 14-month period, the first banner went from the Atlantic Ocean, to the Gulf of Mexico, and ended at the Pacific Ocean. Do you think we can complete a harder challenge in a shorter period of time? Time will tell.

Special thanks to crbnunit for offerng to get this challenge started![/

Since Utah is such an off-road mecca, we are wanting to make this the largest turnout for signing the banner, it has ever seen. anyone who wants to come out and sign it is welcome to! We will be meeting at the Hire's Big H on 4700 s. Saturday October 19th at 7:00pm

here is the most recent pic taken of the banner, as it was handed off with all the signatures on it: