Inside the wild, female car collection that collects money for charity

What do you get when you take 60 very successful women from all over the world – actresses, singers, philanthropists, business moguls, Olympians, influencers – put them in a fleet of luxury and vintage cars and take them on a driving trip over a country, all in charity’s name?

The answer is the annual Cash & Rocket Road Rally, a mix of pure madness, devastation, undeniable fun, food and so much fashion.

“It’s a bit difficult to explain,” Julie Brangstrup, CEO and founder of Cash & Rocket, tells people with a laugh.

The Danish-British philanthropist and film producer, who had founded Gumball 3000 Road Rally with his ex-husband Maximillion Cooper in 1999, decided that for Cash & Rocket, founded in 2011, she wanted it to be just for women and include a charity element.

“Nobody really gets it until they do,” Brangstrup continues the four -day annual event. “Every year is a new road in another country, and every year 50 percent of women are new faces. It is about energy and speed, not like a road race, but as a collection event. But it’s also really, really hard work.”

To join the event, women pay about $ 10,000 to get a car team together and then the collection of an additional $ 5,000 to $ 10,000 for charity must. “You have four days to meet this goal and really go out there and help us drive the change,” says Brangstrup. “The women who do this are strong and an inspiration.”

They also come from all social strata.

Participants at previous events include Paris Hilton, Emma Thompson and Christina Hendricks, and at the past June -Rally in Italy, where teams drove from Rome to Sicily, included participants Olympic rider Mathilda Karlsson, London ladies star Juliet Angus, The Hunting Party actress Melissa Roxburgh, model Selita Ebanksand Tata Harper by Tata Harper Skincare, including bold face and entrepreneurs.

They also came from all over the world: Dubai, LA, London, South Africa and Australia.

“It is the most unique part of this,” says Brangstrup about the women who make up the law.

“You have so much character, so many different nationalities, and they all gather, and some of the stories you hear on the road are just extraordinary.”

She continues, “it is the kind of women who, whatever they have thrown at them, just continued. I think it is one of the obvious reasons why they have been so successful in their companies, or in which industry they have come from. Many of them run their own companies, and they are mothers, and we all know the feeling of being made and want to work.

She believes that the charity aspect of the adventure (so far they have collected $ 4.5 million for charities such as saving the children SombandliaWho educates children in South Africa in the countryside) is another major move for the drivers, who likes to give back but may not want to go to just another event and write a check.

“These are women who love to give back,” says Brangstrup. “Who knows it is a privilege to be able to do so and who makes that part of their DNA or business models and that encourages it in their children. I think it is most important to be an example, because if the children see their mothers go out there to collect while promoting new friendships, it becomes part of their DNA as well.”

She also ensures that gently faces the charities they work with every year.

“We only work with charities where we have full openness to see where the money goes,” she says.

Beyond The Thrill of Driving Cars Like Ferraris and Maseratis (And In The Case of Italy, Vintage Cars Like Alfa Romeos and Mercedes From the 1960s) and Raising Money, There Are Also Glamorous Events Thrown Into the Mix: This year year. On the beach along the amalfi coast, a rooftop cocktail party at the six senses rome, lunch at and a private garden dinner at the Raito Hotel on the Amalfi Coast.

The chance to unwind after long days of driving is another draw for the drivers, which form unique bands after living through the chaos and laughter (divided cars!

“I wanted to unite women, create this solidarity society,” says Brangstrup. “It has become a really hard society. And it has been really, really wonderful to look at. Some of these women who drove together in Italy this year they first met at Cash & Rocket 10 years ago. Now they are the godmothers of each other’s children.”