Cross-Country Trip For Two Cranford Women Has Big Mission And Unique Ride

CRANFORD, NJ — Two friends with ties to Cranford are turning a cross-country road trip into a campaign centered on encouraging blood donations and highlighting what organizers describe as an ongoing national shortage.

During the Monday meeting of the Cranford Township Committee, officials highlighted the upcoming “Miles of Kindness” journey led by Lori Talbot, a Cranford resident, and Marie Forristal, a former Cranford resident. The pair is set to depart July 7 for a Route 66 trip that will take them from New Jersey to the Santa Monica Pier in California.

Instead of traveling in a traditional RV or car, Talbot and Forristal will make the trip in “Rosie the Rescuer,” a retrofitted ambulance that will double as both transportation and a mobile platform for their message.

The project aims to inspire 2,500 blood donations—one for every mile of Route 66—while also collecting stories and encouraging more people to become regular donors.

Mayor Kathleen Miller Prunty said the effort reflects a meaningful community mission.

“Their goal is two thousand five hundred blood donations, one for every mile of Route 66,” Prunty said during the meeting. “You may just save someone else’s life.”

The initiative is also about building long-term awareness around blood donation and encouraging new donors nationwide. The organization describes the effort as a way to “inspire a new generation of lifelong blood donors across America.”

Talbot, a former educator whose husband passed away in 2022, has said the mission is personal. According to the Miles of Kindness project, she has since made blood donation advocacy a central focus of her work.

"2,500 donations is a lot, but I know we can do it," Talbot said.

Forristal, a former journalist and longtime blood donation advocate, is joining her on the journey to share stories of “kindness, connection, and community” along the way.

Mayor Prunty also emphasized the broader message behind the effort.

“Their message about this entire journey is, we can all move the needle even just a little bit and make a positive difference in people’s lives,” she said.

Residents who want to follow the journey or support the effort can visit milesofkindnessdoc.com for updates and information as the trip begins July 7.