TV producer plans fundraising drive from Big Apple to ‘old’ York (From York Press)

TV producer plans fundraising drive from New York to ‘old’ York

7:42am Tuesday 11th September 2012 in News By Dan Bean, dan.bean@thepress.co.uk

A BRITISH television producer living in America is set to drive from New York to York in support of 9/11 charities.

Nathan Jenson, who was born in the UK, moved to the US in 2007 following a similarly-themed event when he drove a double decker bus to America.

He said: “Ever since watching the film Summer Holiday with Cliff Richard as a child, I always told myself that one day I would buy a London bus and do a journey like that myself.

“So I sold my house in Norwich and bought the last ever Routemaster bus to serve in central London before they were axed in 2006, and I raised money for a local air ambulance charity and sold advertising space on the bus.”

Nathan took his big red bus and drove from a small Norfolk town called California, to California on the West coast of the USA, after shipping the bus to New York city.

Now, Nathan has announced he is planning a 16,850 mile trip from Ground Zero in New York to York, in a vehicle yet to be decided, with the aim of raising $50,000.

Nathan, who lives in Shelbyville, Indiana, and makes documentaries for PBS television, said: “Since I found it incredibly difficult to raise very much money for the Air Ambulance Charity I’ve always wanted to do something else and raise a larger amount of money that will really help people and get some great exposure for those in need, and I think this is it.”

Official dates for the trip have not yet been revealed, but that has not stopped Nathan, who already owns a 1970s California Highway patrol car, a vintage tractor and a former Chicago city police cruiser, working on getting the best vehicle for the job.

He said: “I’m now hoping to raise some money locally to purchase a five-tonne military 6x6 truck and a two-ton military Chevrolet 4x4.

“At the end of the journey we will auction off the vehicles and give the money raised directly to the charity, along with 80 per cent of the total money raised by donations, the other 20 per cent going to fund the expenses such as diesel and food.”

• Today marks the 11th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the Twin Towers in New York