Garrett will ride a scooter similar to this from Portland to New York City, over 3,000 total miles.

Garrett, a former member of the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division, is riding a 1964 Vespa that he has restored from the ground up with many engine and performance upgrades. He is being sponsored by Simpson Race Products, who provided him with a new street version of their proven race helmets and Aerostich Riderwear.

Garrett decided that he could use the Cannonball to raise awareness of the Special Operations Warrior Foundation, a charity that provides scholarships to children of Special Operators from all services whose parents were killed in the performance of their duties.

‘‘I started planning last year to do this ride and thought that it would be a great way to raise awareness for charity. I have a lot of friends in Special Operations,” said Garrett, ‘‘so the Foundation really is a personal issue with me. Special Operators are the ones behind the scenes, especially during the Global War on Terror, and each one volunteered to go through their service’s most advanced and grueling training. Raising awareness of this worthy foundation is a source of pride.”

The Cannonball commences on Sept. 10, in Portland, Ore., and ends nine days later in New York City. Garrett will be covering an average of 400 miles per day for a total of over 3,000 miles and will loosely follow the Oregon Trail.

He will carry all of his spare parts, as well as clothing and incidentals, on the Vespa for the ride, stopping each night to catch a few hours sleep and perform maintenance on his scooter.

‘‘It’s one thing to drive a car across the country,” said Garrett. ‘‘It is something entirely different to ride a 40-year old scooter, with all the nuances and headaches of maintaining such an old machine. I’ve built this bike and the top speed is about 90 mph, but it’s still a scooter and still 40 years old, so it’s not the most comfortable ride there is. The route itself is challenging as we are staying off the Interstates, couple that with having to upkeep an antique scooter being pushed to its limits every single day will certainly make the trip interesting.”

Garrett’s employer, BearingPoint, Inc., is also a sponsor of the Warrior Foundation through golfer Phil Mickelson’s ‘‘Birdies for the Brave” program.

Garrett used to race motocross before an accident crushed his left hand. ‘‘It was many years before I could use the clutch (which is operated with the rider’s left hand) on a motorcycle, but I stayed interested and have built a number of vintage bikes over the years. I still ride my 1973 Yamaha RD 350 to work. I live in D.C. so the commute to the Navy Yard on either a motorcycle or scooter takes me about 15 minutes.”

‘‘I’m really excited about raising funds for the Foundation directly. And the Cannonball provides an excellent way to have fun while doing it.”

To make a donation to the Special Operations Warrior Foundation in support of Mike Garrett, visit http:⁄⁄www.specialops.org⁄events.asp#Cannonball and use the ‘‘Make a Contribution” link at the bottom of the page. Be sure to make a note in the ‘‘Notes” section that the donation is for the Scooter Cannonball.