With great pride and excitement, resqme, Inc. is once again sponsoring the brave Emme Hall and Sabrina Howells as they make their way across the harsh and unforgiving Moroccan desert in the Rallye Aicha des Gazelles – one of the toughest motorsport races in the world.


GAZELLES TV 2015 - ESSAOUIRA by Rallye-Aicha-des-Gazelles

As team Indian Joans, #178, tackle this nine-day, off road rally through the Sahara, they’ll bring resqme tools with them – no doubt, a useful automotive safety device in case of their own auto emergency – but Hall and Howells will also be handing them out to fellow drivers. As in past races sponsored by resqme, the tools were a hit!

“resqme was also our title sponsor in 2014,” said Howells, navigator for team Indiana Joans. “We gave away over 100 [resqme] tools to the other Gazelle teams and the response was immediate. Everyone loved the idea…”

The Gazelle Rally is an all-female race but that doesn’t mean it’s for sissies. These fierce Gazelles from 30 countries – including US team #178, Indiana Jones – must navigate  their vehicle to hidden checkpoints across the desert using just a compass and map.

GPS is not allowed and neither are cell phones. Anything can go wrong in the desert and the race is an ultimate test of willpower, spirit, skill and determination.

At times, teams will find their trucks stuck in the sand and it’s the teamwork and perseverance that keeps you going.

But it’s the relationships you forge on and off the road that cause these Gazelles to come back as changed women. Check out this awesome video by ESPN-W that tells all about the race, the champions and the most difficult opponent – the desert.

credit: Emme Hall

The competition is March 23-31 but technical verification begins March 18. Points are awarded for the shortest distance between checkpoints, not the fastest time. And the team that clocks the fewest kilometers is the winner. We’re rooting for Team Indiana Joans and their Land Rover Defender to own the lead.

You can follow the team and send messages of encouragement at http://www.rallyeaichadesgazelles.com/

Check out more photos and live coverage, too. We’ll be sure to keep you updated on Team 178 and their progress!

credit: MegaMonkeyMotorsports.com

To find out more about resqme or to purchase your own personal automotive safety tool, visit our store: http://resqme.com/

Jim Giebel of Illinois recently put on a flood awareness booth for his Eagle Scout Project with the Boy Scouts of America. We spoke to Jim about his experiencing using the resqme tool at his booth.

Question: How did your Eagle Scout project come about?
Answer: After thinking about my Eagle project I decided that I wanted to help my community with some sort of flood awareness project. I had a hard time finding an idea at first, but then I realized that al ot of the community really lacked in preparedness for any type of flooding. It was in recent years that flooding became prominent in my community.

Q: Who and where did you share this information with in your community?
A: I eventually did research and found a abundance of flood prevention materials and information. I had come up with a presentation to present to the Village of Oakbrook and at the final setup, the Taste of Oakbrook.

Q: What kind of safety information did you share?
A: In the booth that I created I also set up a list of items including the resqme to show the public tools and information you can take with you in a emergency preparedness bag. You can keep this at home, in your car, or office. In addition I handed out my own fliers with information on how to prepare yourself in case a flood were to happen to you. The information included things to pack for a emergency prep bag and flood insurance information. Locations to meet your family if separated, how to make and stack sandbags, and where to find them.

Q: What part did the resqme tool and flyers play?
A: The reqme tool and flyers allowed me to present what you could do if you were stuck In your car in a flood situation or if you needed to help out another car. This was a major part in my booth as it gave the public ideas of how they could be prepared in flash flood situations with such a small tool.

Q: Did you work with your troop on this project?
A: During the taste my troop helped me set up and share the information that I received and had made for my community. They were a major part of my project as there were over 25,000 people at the Taste and I couldn’t have done the project without them.

Q: What did you ultimately learn?
A: This project taught me a lot about flooding and I learned as I taught more and more people it was embedded into my brain so that I could teach and help my community more in the future.

Congratulations to Jim on his Eagle Scout project and we commend him for sharing such valuable safety information with his community. With all the recent flooding across the United States, such awareness about emergency preparation is vital in keeping motorists safe on the road. If you want to learn more about the resqme tool, visit: www.resqme.com

Check out some photos from the event!

-The resqme team