Off to Big Easy at 21 mph By BRIANNA LUSK, Staff Writer
Monday, May 21, 2007 10:18 PM PDT
CUAUHTEMOC BELTRAN PHOTO
Tulane University alumni Megan Wood, Andrew Travers (background) and Greg Thurnher drive through Jack In The Box on Fourth Street in El Centro on Monday. The three are traveling to New Orleans from Manhattan Beach to raise awareness for the city of New Orleans.
A man driving a modified golf cart with purple and green flames emblazoned on the sides it sounds more like an episode of “Monster Garage” than a marketing device.
But for Greg Thurnher, it’s a vehicle that he hopes will turn into more tourism for the city he has come to love, even after it was nearly destroyed by Hurricane Katrina.
“I know it’s ostentatious,” Thurnher said. “The nature of this project is as unique as the city that inspired it.”
The city he speaks of is his beloved New Orleans, which Thurnher is promoting on his tour across the Southwest with his Big Easy Go entourage.
Thurnher stopped in El Centro on his second day of the tour Monday, which will see his 21-mph golf cart ride through cities in Arizona, New Mexico and Texas before returning to the Big Easy.
Sponsored by Jack in the Box and endorsed by Tulane University, where Thurnher earned his master’s degree in business administration Saturday, he plays brass band tunes while doling out Mardi Gras beads and tourism information.
The 29-year-old said the idea was born from a senior project he did at Tulane. Thurnher revived an old golf cart that became his main mode of transportation during Mardi Gras.
“What better way to carry with me the rebirth of the city,” Thurnher said.
After Katrina hit the Gulf Coast on Aug. 29, 2005, New Orleans’ history has taken center stage as the city continues to rebuild. Thurnher said he remembers returning to the city as an employee of a local utility company, when only the National Guard and law enforcement was allowed back in.
“It was a truly miserable place,” Thurnher said. “But I was still truly proud and fond of it as it was in its darkest hour.”
Traveling with a few friends and meeting up with Tulane alumni along the way, Thurnher said the journey has brought people together who have nothing else in common but their passion for the city.
“We share something we think is very special pride in our city,” Thurnher said. “You have to truly experience it to understand.”
In an attempt to give back to the city that has given him an education and an incomparable appreciation for life, Thurnher said he feels like everyone can be a part of the revival.
“We’re not finished but there’s been a lot of progress. New Orleans is open for business and pleasure.”
If you have an account already, just enter your Member ID and Password to access this page.
If you're new to our site, please create a new account.
Register FREE
To use certain features of ivpressonline.com, you must register FREE on the form provided. The Imperial Valley Press use of any personally identifying information you provide as part of registration is governed by the following privacy policy:
ivpressonline.com does not, and will not, release your personal information to any third party without your consent. We may, however, share some of the information we gather, in aggregate or demographic form, with advertisers and other partners. That is, we may provide general information about ways people use our site without identifying any particular individuals.
The opinions above are from readers of ivpressonline.com and in no way represent the views of the Imperial Valley Press staff or Schurz Communications Inc.
ivpressonline.com encourages readers to offer their opinions on our local stories. We ask readers keep their comments on topic and avoid derogatory comments about fellow readers. Our goal is to promote a civil discussion about the news.
We will never edit or alter comments, but we do reserve the right to remove comments that violate our code of conduct. No comment may contain:
Subscribe Get the Imperial Valley Press every morning at your home or office. Start a subscription for your family, for yourself or give it to someone special. Click here.
Text Message AlertsReceive text message alerts on breaking news, latest updates, sports scores, offers and much more on your cellphone or PDA. Sign up here.
RegisterRegister free and start receiving email alerts on breaking news, a sneak preview of upcoming stories, reminders and much more. Click here to begin.
About UsWant to know more about the Imperial Valley Press? Want to contact us? Get general and contact information. Click here.
