 It should not take long for drivers in Arizona to spot the black and white Route 66 license plate as the eye catching specialty plate has achieved great success adorning a recorded 13,833 vehicles. Available since late 2016, the design and approval process for the specialty plate was lengthy and expensive. Requirements for an Arizona specialty plate include a $32,000 contribution, an organizational history of at least 30 years, and allocated monies to a charitable organization with 501 (c)(3) status.
Eight dollars from the sale of the $25 plate is used for administrative purposes, leaving the remaining $17 for the Association. Revenue from last year’s plate sales totaled $231,161. The Association is proud of their progress and perseverance. They were honored for their hard work when the plate was recognized by the Automobile License Plate Collectors Association (ALPCA) as the Best Plate of the Year for 2016. The Association is excited about the new opportunities available for the road thanks to the license plate program’s success with revenue being used for preservation and grant opportunities. The Association has hired an attorney to assist in the creation of long term programs to ensure license plate revenue is responsibly allocated. Much thought and consideration is required to ensure that sustainable, impactful projects and causes are supported. Several projects are currently under consideration and the Association will announce some projects and new programs in the near future as they become available. The Association is moving away from a membership based organization in order to focus on becoming a resource to Arizona Route 66 businesses and communities. Key community members and business owners will gather this week for their annual Arizona Route 66 meeting. The group will be celebrating Route 66 in Arizona, share successes, as well as identify projects and preservation opportunities that would benefit the Arizona Route 66 community. In the early years, the budget was tight, so an all volunteer force supported the Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona’s mission to preserve, promote, and protect Route 66 in Arizona. The Association now has a full time Director of Operations and operates a Gift Shop inside the Powerhouse Visitor Center in Kingman, Arizona. The Association is governed by a Board of Directors who represent Route 66 across Arizona. Angel Delgadillo, President Emeritus and founding member of the Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona, has always stressed the importance of individuals contributions and enthusiasm that continue to make Route 66 special and an experience like no other destination. That is exactly what the license plate program does, allows individuals to support the Association in their mission as well as advertise one of Arizona’s greatest economic assets, Route 66.
2 Comments
 The 32nd Annual Route 66 Fun Run is May 3rd through May 5th
The Route 66 Fun Run® is the largest and longest standing Route 66 rally in the world. The 2019 Run will take place May 3 to May 5 and this year marks the 32nd annual celebration. The Fun Run is not a timed race but a 140 mile pleasure cruise of classic and custom vehicles that traverse the Mother Road from Seligman, AZ to Topock/Golden Shores, AZ. The rally takes place over three days. Last year, 788 vehicles participated in the cruise from Seligman to Topock. The Fun Run means many things to many people. To the Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona, it is their annual celebration of how much they’ve accomplished. To many participants it’s a chance to catch up with old friends who meet at the run every year. For Route 66 business owners between Seligman and Topock it’s a very busy time. The Fun Run Committee has been busy working to make this run the best yet. A new drive thru shield will debut this year, an expanded car show area, and a fun scavenger hunt have all been added to this years run. When you show someone a photo of a car driving under the iconic white and black arch, their first question is, where can I get a photo? The beloved drive-thru took a spill the last time it was put up, necessitating a new arch and a different approach. The Committee decided to go with an inflatable arch, similar to the finish line at 5k runs. The new drive thru arch will be able to withstand more wind than the previous arch, up to 25mph. It will also be more portable which enables the Association to set it up in more than one location during the weekend. Last year, as cars continued to arrive from Seligman into Kingman, parking spots became scarce. The committee has expanded the road closure on Beale Street to include 2nd Street to 5th Street to make room for more cars. As they story goes, some of the first Fun Runs included a scavenger hunt where you would find landmarks or people along the way. The committee thought it would be fun to bring back the idea and have participants identify unique Route 66 shields along the way. Winners who turn in their completed cards have a chance to win a prize in Topock at the awards ceremony. Things get underway on Friday, May 3, in Seligman with registration, live music and an impromptu car parade through town. Kingman will be hosting the seventh annual Route 66 Drive-in event, featuring American Graffiti at Best Western King’s Inn Friday evening starting at 8pm. The first leg of the journey officially begins at 10am on Saturday, May 4, with a cruise from Seligman to Downtown Kingman led by the Grand Marshal Bob Boze Bell, author of The 66 Kid. Mr. Bell will have a meet and greet at the Powerhouse Visitor Center where he will be signing books from 2pm – 4pm. The route takes drivers through the attractions and communities of Grand Canyon Caverns, Peach Springs, Truxton, Valentine, Keepers of the Wild, Hackberry, Antares, and Valle Vista. Upon arrival in Downtown Kingman, participants line up their cars, trucks, motorcycles, trailers, buses and vans on Route 66 (Andy Devine Ave) and Beale Street for a show & shine viewing and judging. Thousands of spectators enjoy vendors, food, music, and the museums in Kingman’s historic district all afternoon until 5pm. After the car show enjoy a special cocktail hour hosted by Rickety Cricket Brewing on Beale Street. The second leg of the journey begins Sunday morning, May 5. Departing from Kingman, participants head to Topock/Golden Shores for the final gathering and awards ceremony at 1pm. This scenic back-road winds past Cool Springs, Gold Road, Sitegreave’s Pass and Oatman before heading down the backside of the Black Mountains for the shores of the Colorado River. Two years ago, the Association started a patch program. All participants who complete the entire route from Seligman to Topock receive a limited edition patch. If you collect all ten patches in the series, they fit together to form a large shield. Each patch features an Arizona Route 66 landmark. Registration for the event is $60 per vehicle. The fee includes a shirt, dash plaque, commemorative license plate, custom tote bag, entrance to the Kingman Show-n-Shine and Topock/Golden Shores award ceremony. For more information or to register visit www.historic66az.com or call 928-753-5001.  4th Annual Williams Historic Route 66 Car Show 2019 Schedule of Events Friday - June 7, 2019 Registration/Pre-Registration - 11 am - 4 pm Burger Burn - 11 am - 3 pm American Legion Cordova Post 13 - 425 West Grant Avenue *Registration will also be available from 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm on Route 66* "Cruise the Loop" - 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm Cruise the Loop through Historic Downtown Williams on Route 66 *Awards for the Cruise will be held at the Station 66 Italian Bistro* Saturday - June 8, 2019 4th Annual Williams Historic Route 66 Car Show 6:00 am - 3:00 pm Registration 6:00 am - 10:00 am *Registration will open at 6 am on Route 66* Located on the Circle K parking lot. AWARDS CEREMONY - 3:00 pm *Award Ceremony will start promptly at 3:00 pm - World Famous Sultana Theater* To Register Visit: www.historicroute66carshow.com  On February 18, 1987, some 32 years ago, a group of 15 passionate individuals from across the state met at the Copper Cart restaurant in Seligman and formed the Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona. Over the next year, the group successfully lobbies Arizona State Officials to dedicate the original stretch of Route 66 an Historic Highway.
The following April, the Association celebrates by hosting the first Annual Route 66 Fun Run® with Arizona Governor Rose Mofford cutting the ribbon and Will Rogers Jr. attending as Grand Marshal. In 1989, Bobby Troup, who wrote the highway’s anthem ‘Get Your Kicks on 66’, attends the Route 66 Fun Run and Peter Jennings features Old Route 66, interviewing Association President Jerry Richard of Kingman on the ABC Television’s evening news. That year, four other states form Route 66 Associations; by 1991, all eight states have an association. Over the next three decades, the Association was awarded 14 grants totaling more than $2M dollars to facilitate historic preservation, tourism, and marketing to the Route 66 communities of Arizona. They received the Governor’s Cooperative Marketing Award in 2011 for their Arizona Route 66 Passport. The Association was the driving force behind installation of National Scenic Byway signage across the Route in 2006. They secured All-American Road designation in 2010: the most distinguished National designation held by only 42 roads in the US. They also raised over $30,000 for the opening of the Route 66 Museum in the Powerhouse by raffling off a 1964 Corvette in 1995. What’s in store for the next 32 years? The Association is currently replacing the Roadside Attraction signs that are located at iconic spots across Arizona. The original signs were installed in 2003, by The Hampton Inn, but had become faded and worn. The installation of the signs will happen throughout the rest of February. The Arizona Route 66 Passport has been such a successful tool to promote all communities along the road, that the fourth print will be released later this year. The Association is also in the beginning planning stages for the Route 66 Centennial Celebration in 2026. The celebration will highlight the unique communities across Arizona, but also the special experience we create all together. The majority of the planning will happen at the Association’s All-Community Meetings in the summer where other preservation projects may be discussed and launched. The Association has been housed in the Historic Powerhouse on Route 66 in Kingman, Arizona since the landmark opened in October 1997. It is a non-profit organization working to preserve, promote and protect Route 66 across Arizona. |
Archives
April 2020
Categories |
RSS Feed
|
MissionThe Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona, a non-profit organization, is dedicated to the preservation, protection, and promotion of both the surface, and the memories along Arizona’s portion of Route 66.
|
120 W. Andy Devine Ave.
Kingman, Arizona 86401 |