Ollie Plunket Reaches Final Fisher House in Alaska

Ollie Plunket Reaches Final Fisher House in Alaska

07.22.13

Eighteen-year-old Oliver Plunket of the United Kingdom will complete his 24,000 mile motorcycle ride from Ushuaia, Argentina to Prudhoe Bay, Alaska to raise a minimum of $150,000 for wounded troops and visit with the families of wounded military service members staying at the Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson Fisher House in Anchorage, Alaska on Friday, June 14 from 11:30a.m.  – 12:00 p.m. (local time) located at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson.

Col. Thomas Harrell, 673d Medical Group Commander, will also be on hand to welcome Ollie to the Fisher House.

“Ollie’s Odyssey” is a 14-nation, seven month trip, organized by Ollie, who was born in California, to support the recently dedicated Fisher House UK in Birmingham, UK. The two-story, 18-bedroom Fisher House UK is the first of its kind, built in collaboration between the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham Charity, Help for Heroes and the American Fisher House Foundation, which has constructed 60 houses across the United States and in Germany, at military hospitals and Veterans Affairs Medical Centers. Like its American counterparts, the Fisher House UK will provide a home away from home for the families of injured troops receiving medical care at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham.

On his way up the West Coast of the United States, Ollie stopped off at American Fisher Houses and visiting with injured military members and their families. His schedule took him to five cities, each with a Fisher House located at a military hospital or Veterans Affairs Medical Center:

·      Monday, Jun 3 – San Diego, CA

·      Thursday, June 6 – Los Angeles, CA

·      Monday, June 10 – Palo Alto, CA

·      Friday, June 14 – Seattle, WA

·      Monday, July 22 – Anchorage, AK

Ollie’s inspiration for the trip came from his deep respect for several family members who have recently served in the British Army and his own plan to become a soldier. Having passed selection to become a Potential Officer of the British Army, Ollie chose to take a “gap year” – 12 months off before going on to university – to travel the world, and says that supporting the Fisher House UK at the same time only seemed to make sense. Ollie has never done any kind of charity or fundraising work before.

Harnessing the power of social media – including a Justgiving.com page for donations and providing updates on facebook, twitter and YouTube – Ollie has so far raised about half of his goal of 100,000 British pounds sterling, about $150,000 US. His website, where people can donate and follow his journey, is here: http://www.olliesodyssey.org.uk/    

Ollie’s journey is spanning 14 countries: Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru, Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, the United States and Canada.