While there wasn’t much on the news about Hurricane Jimena since it missed a direct hit on Cabo San Lucas, the region from San Ignacio to Magdalena Bay was especially hard hit, with the farming communities of Ciudad Constitucion and Bahia Magdalena taking direct hits while Jimena was still a Category 2 storm. The Gulf of California communities familiar to so many off-road racers and fans including Mulege and Santa Rosalia were hit by massive flooding after the storm stalled over the central mountains of southern Baja.  It has been estimated by some that 75 to 90 percent of the homes in Ciudad Constitucion and Bahia Magdalena were rendered uninhabitable by the storm.  Authorities are still working to restore power and water to some of the areas, as well as repair roads and bridges severely damaged by the storm.

Following the postponement of the Mexican 1000 Rally by NORRA due to Hurricane Jimena, NORRA implemented the “Rally for Relief” in order to help the people of the region. Now Off-Road Expo is joining with NORRA to keep this effort in the spotlight. A donation center is being established at the main entrance to Off-Road Expo at the Fairplex Pomona this weekend (October 9-11) to make it easy to donate. In addition, cash donation locations will be set up at the NORRA Historic Race Vehicle display at Off-Road Expo.

"Off-Road Expo is proud to be a part of 'Rally for Relief,'" says Off-Road Expo Show Director Tom Gattuso. "The off-road industry has been racing in Baja since the mid '60s, and it's only fitting that the Nation's best off-road show be a part of this relief effort. We encourage all of our attendees to bring desperately needed supplies or cash donations to help rebuild this area of Baja that has given so much to the Off-Road Nation over the years."

These people really need assistance just to get back to a basic level of existence.  The following items are especially needed:

Clothing
Shoes
Socks
Shirts
Jackets, Coats
Pants
Blouses

Bedding
Blankets
Sheets
Pillows, Pillowcases

Basic Shelter
Tents
Tarps
Sleeping Bags

Personal Hygiene Items
Soap
Toothbrushes
Toothpaste
Diapers
Shaving Kits


Food and Water
Drinking Water
Food
Dry Goods (basic staples with long shelf life) flour, sugar, dry milk
Canned Goods
Cash donations will also be accepted.  The Mexican Red Cross is administering the distribution of the donated goods and money.

For more information or to purchase tickets for Off-Road Expo, visit the show's Web site at www.offroadexpo.com. For discounted online tickets, enter the promotional code "RELIEF" at the checkout.