There were some great prizes to be won at the 2011 AZLRO Rally Raffle. Lucky winners took home such items as an ARB Fridge, a full PowerTank set up, a couple of different suspension kits, and more.
{rokbox album=|album| title=|The Camel Trophy Case :: Bill Burke’s Case|}images/stories/2011rally/case/Back.png{/rokbox} There were many, many more large and small prizes donated by the Rally Sponsors, the AZLRO Club and even some anonymous donations. Unusually for me, I was a winner this year. I hardly ever win at raffles and I don’t think I have ever won a major prize but this year I won twice! I was lucky enough to win a new set of Tire Deflators that will come in very useful as I can set them to a different pressure to my others for different trail conditions.
I also won a 20 year old used Pelican Case.
Hang on, back up a step, a what? Did I just say a used old Pelican Case? Is the AZLRO Rally Raffle now giving away old junk as raffle prizes? Not by a long shot. As you might guess, it wasn’t just any old Pelican, this one has a past to be proud of. Let me put you in the picture:
{rokbox album=|album| title=|The Camel Trophy Case :: Bill Burke’s Case|}images/stories/2011rally/case/Bottom.png{/rokbox} Bill is of course well known to us as he has become a good friend to the club over the last few years and had recently led the 3 day Trail Leader Training that those of us leading the rally trails had attended. His years of service and experience in the off road field means that he needed little introduction as I doubt there where very many people there who didn’t know who he was or recognize him for his position as one of the most respected figures in our sport.
{rokbox album=|album| title=|The Camel Trophy Case :: Bill Burke’s Case|}images/stories/2011rally/case/Top.png{/rokbox} So Bill goes up and takes the mic to explain what’s so special about this case. He explains that back in 1991 he was selected as one of the members of the two man US Camel Trophy Team. Each man had each been issued with two of these Pelican cases. They were intended to transport and protect their personal items such as clothes and so on during the competition. The case being raffled off this evening was one of the two issued to him. It had travelled with him to Tanzania and on throughout the entire competition as they worked their way to the finish line in Burundi. Along with him it had survived the mud, water, dust, insects, etc. as they battled their way along the 1,800km route from Dar Es Salaam in Tanzania to Bujumbura in Burundi. Since then it has lived in the back of his vehicles and continued to provide service in a number of different ways over the years storing and protecting things like tools, recovery gear and so on. Now he was presenting it to us. One lucky winner would be taking home a piece of Camel Trophy history.
{rokbox album=|album| title=|The Camel Trophy Case :: Bill Burke’s Case|}images/stories/2011rally/case/Inside.png{/rokbox} Quite a special old case really, and a fantastic prize. I still can’t believe Bill’s generosity donating it. For me the raffle may as well have been over. The fridge, the suspension kits, the powertank, none of them mattered anymore and whoever won them would be very lucky, but I would not be envious. In my eyes I had already won the star prize. After the raffle was finished and Andreas had dashed the hopes of many by collecting his new fridge, I went over to Bill and thanked him again. I don’t think it came out very well but I tried to tell him that I understood the significance of the gift and that I would look after it. Bill, that was an amazing gesture on your part and of course I am very appreciative.
{rokbox album=|album| title=|The Camel Trophy Case :: Bill Burke’s Case|}images/stories/2011rally/case/winner.jpg{/rokbox} So now what? Driving home that night I started to think about what to do with it? It seems wrong somehow to put it on a shelf to gather dust and look at it. But if I throw it in the back of the truck and use it to store tools, spares or recovery gear then it’s going to get banged up and break in time and that doesn’t seem right either. I’m still mulling it over but the best idea I have come up with so far is to use it for my camping gear. My tent, sleeping bag, etc. will fit inside easily. Since I don’t use them all the time then the case won’t be rolling around in the back of the truck getting damaged but it will still serve a useful purpose and be used for what it was meant for. Hopefully this way it will give me many years of useful service as well as acting as a talking point round camp fires for years to come.
As a long time Land Rover Owner and fan of the Camel Trophy, I am now the proud owner of a piece of that history, thanks once again Bill.
Ian Gregory
