Michael Feith, a volunteer with du Luz’s team, said the group had just arrived in New Orleans and had only left their locked van alone for a “short while.”

“We were gone only a short while. We had to leave the van to move the solar car,” he said. “The van was parked on a busy street in the French Quarter in broad daylight.”

After moving the car, da Luz and his team returned to find the back window of their van broken and their passports, credit cards, laptops, cash, cameras and a portable hard drive stolen.

Even after such an incident, which may cost the team up to $10,000, Feith says the team is “still optimistic.”

“We will keep going, keep on smiling,” Feith said. “A lot of good came to us in New Orleans.”

New Orleanians, not wanting their visit from da Luz to be defined by the robbery, came forward in droves and donated what they could to the team.

The team received a $500 check from First NBC Bank board member David Anderson, another $500 check from the company South Coast Solar, $160 in individual donations and a laptop computer from a local doctor.

Feith said that, other than the robbery, the team “really enjoyed New Orleans.”

He also said the team has decided to continue the journey and will be visiting Florida next.

For more information on the project or to donate to the cause visit www.xof1.com.

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