The Arizona Daily Sun in Flagstaff caught up with Michelle Thompson, who’s cycling across Route 66 to raise awareness of oral cancer and to drum up funds for her ailing brother.

She credits people on the Mother Road helping continue her quest.

Aficionados of the historic route have provided unexpected help all along the route, including Jim Conkle of the Route 66 Preservation Foundation, who put out an e-mail message to Route 66 clubs and others across the country, asking them to help Thompson on the road.

Route 66 people gave her updates on the road, places to stay and called ahead to alert the next town or city about her scheduled arrival.

“The Route 66 community of people, that was really unexpected,” she said. “I didn’t even know this wonderful community existed. I don’t think I could have done this without them.”

According to Thompson’s latest update on her Web site, she hopes to reach the Colorado River at the California border by today, then across into Needles by Wednesday. She’s raised about $8,100 so far.

She hoped to make Costa Mesa, Calif., by Christmas — which now looks unlikely. But considering she started her trek with no training, the fact she’s just a few days behind schedule — mostly because of a snowstorm in Tucumcari — is quite remarkable.

Jim Conkle of the California Route 66 Preservation Foundation and a film crew from G2G Productions showed up at the Route 66 Mother Road Museum in Barstow, Calif., to film pilots for what is hoped to be a television series focusing on Route 66, reports the Desert Dispatch.

“We’re celebrating the people of the road and the locations and sites of the road,” said Conkle, who plans to dub the potential series with a title such as “The Route 66 Chronicles.”

He said that the show will reflect the mission of the preservation foundation, which includes preservation, restoration, education, promotion and enjoyment of “all things Route 66-related.”

“Those are the things we want to do,” he said. “We want to preserve not just the buildings but the culture.”