UK man raises $90,000 for Fisher House, donates motorbike to MATI

WASILLA — A car show and fundraiser for the Alaska Fisher House at the Museum of Alaska Transportation and Industry Saturday actually began in England more than seven months ago.

Oliver Plunket was 18 and didn’t want an adventure; something more than spending his gap year wasting money on a touristy trip abroad.

“I wanted to kind of explore the unknown and meet the real people,” he said. “Tourists buses don’t really go to those parts of the world.”

Instead, Plunket rode his Yamaha XT660Z Tenere on a 24,000-mile journey through 14 countries over the course of seven months. He got off the plane Dec. 7, 2012, in Buenos Aires and concluded his odyssey in Prudhoe Bay July 6 after riding his motorcycle from Usuhaia, South America, the southernmost city in the world, to Dead Horse, the northernmost city in North America accessible by road.

Adding a fundraising element to the journey was a no brainer, he said. Picking a charity was more difficult. First, he was looking for a charity that would really motivate him and second, he wanted to work for a small charity where a large percent of the money raised wouldn’t be used for administrative costs, he said.

Given his family’s military background and his own plans to become a soldier, Plunket said Fisher House UK was the perfect partner.

The Alaska Fisher House, which opened at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in 2011, is a unique private-public partnership that provides housing for military family members — similar to Ronald McDonald House for civilians.

Along the way, Plunket volunteered more than three week working at seven U.S. Fisher Houses in California, Washington state and Alaska. He said he visited the Anchorage Fisher House July 22.

So far, he’s raised more than $90,000 U.S., but his target is $150,000. Plunket said he hopes the fundraiser from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., July 27 at the Museum of Alaska Transportation and Industry, Mile 47, Parks Highway, Wasilla, will help.

At the picnic, Plunket also will bid adieu to an old friend that accompanied him on every mile of his odyssey, his faithful Yamaha. He said he decided to donate the motorbike to the museum since he didn’t have the $5,000 it would cost to freight the bike home.

“I’m just trying to cram in as many fun dirt roads as I can before I leave,” he said, adding that he rode the Denali Highway on his trip south from Dead Horse.

Plunket said he was born in Pasadena, Calif., while his parents were working in the area, but moved back to the UK as a child. As such, he has dual citizenship.

“It was kind of like I was raising money for both of my nations,” he said.

When he left on his odyssey, the United Kingdom’s first Fisher House had yet to open. He said he liked the idea that his effort could have a big impact on the small charity that employs just five or six people and opened its doors in March.

He said his goal is based on the cost to build one room at a Fisher House.

The fundraiser Saturday is a celebration of Plunket’s successful journey and includes a community picnic and a car show by the 49th State Street Rodders Association.

Representatives from the Alaska Fisher House also will be there to accept donations for the Alaska facility. And Plunket’s fundraiser will be credit for those donations, too. Or, people can donate online at olliesodyssey.org.uk.

How did the journey impact Plunket?

He said the biggest thing that changed for him was his opinion and view on people.

He said before he left people would say things like, “Columbia? You’ll be kidnapped for sure.” “Mexico? You mean where all those drug cartels kidnap and behead people?”

Plunket said those horror stories seemed to come from people who hadn’t traveled and were fearful based on stereotypes.

“I had nothing except a great time,” he said. “The world is a much nicer and happier place than people perceive it to be.”

For the past few days, Plunket has been a guest at Jim and Faye Palin’s Wasilla home. He is set to fly out of Alaska at noon, Monday.

Faye said it’s been an honor and a privilege to play host to the young man.

“He’s an excellent example of how well his parents raised him, of his generation and his country,” she said.

She said she was impressed that Plunkett could talk with ease and intelligence about topics such as taxation, education, socialism and gun control and how the UK and U.S. systems compare.

“He’s given us a great education,” Faye said. “He’s a phenomenal young man.”

For more information, contact 376-1211.

Contact Heather A. Resz at 352-2268 or

heather.resz@frontiersman.com.