I’m not sure if this will go directly to Mr. Wallis himself, but if so…
Sir, I feel the need to personally thank you for everything you’ve done for the mother road and for the country’s preservation of its history as a whole. Allow me to introduce myself: I’m a huge fan, arguably your biggest. I’m sixteen years old and I was born and raised in a small farm town in Missouri very close to 66 itself. My father is a mechanic and a classic car collector. I have a deep set passion for two things on this earth: modern animation and Route 66. My number one goal in life is to write at Pixar and to do all that I can to help preserve 66. Your writing and interviews and overall work has played a huge part in bringing me to fall head over heels in love with Route 66 and all the beauty it has to offer. I hope to follow in your footsteps to bring attention to this marvelous piece of history that still lives today. Thank you so much for inspiring the generations to come, myself included, to keep Route 66 thriving.Allow me to share my personal experience with the legendary road. Two summers ago, my folks finally caved in to my years of begging and took me on the trip of a lifetime. Starting in St. Louis, we traveled 66 all the way to California to the grand opening of Carsland. (I also took the all-day animation course that Disneyland offers) I had never traveled very far from home, only to the surrounding states of Missouri, so seeing the country courtesy of 66 was like seeing an entirely new world. We used the filmmakers documentary on the Cars DVD along with the people and businesses listed at the end of the credits as a road map of where and who to visit. Wh met the majority of the people Lasseter and his team met on their 66 trip, and they shared with me their story and how Pixar had helped their business. Over that two week period I spent on the Mother Road, I really fell in love with it. History is so alive thigh 66 and the people you meet will change your life. Not to mention the scenery along the way is beyond breathtaking.So thank you, Sir, for inspiring me and so many others, and for keeping 66 always in it’s heyday.-Bonnie Dawn MarionFuture Pixar writer & Route 66 enthusiast
