In its second year, the Southern Indiana Truck Convoy aimed to surpass last year’s impressive $17,000 donation to the local Make-A-Wish chapter – which as it turns out they more than tripled!
The recently concluded 2023 event held at the Ripley County Fairgrounds in Osgood, Ind. saw a whopping 48 trucks participating. Together, they raised over $53,000 for Make-A-Wish Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana.
This awesome achievement was driven by the personal experience of Alfred Sellers, the president of the Southern Indiana Truck Convoy. He shares how his daughter’s wish was granted in the late 1990s, fueling his determination to give back to an organization that holds a special place in his heart.
“Make-A-Wish has put thousands of smiles on the faces of many children and helped families forget their worries for a time,” Sellers reportedly said in an interview with Land Line.
The generous donation was partly a result of an intense competition between Crum Trucking and Baylor Trucking for the lead truck spot. In the end, Baylor Trucking emerged victorious in this significant bidding war with a significant donation being the result.
“It’s just an extremely worthy charity,” Brandon White, operations manager with Baylor Trucking, said. “There’s been multiple people that have been touched by that charity that we’ve known over the years, and it’s just a really good cause to participate in.”
Baylor Trucking showed strong support at the event by bringing a total of 11 trucks. They had 10 trucks in the convoy and an additional one at the Touch-A-Truck section. This impressive display of support aligns perfectly with Baylor Trucking’s vision.
“A lot of the people that were there are professional drivers that have been with us for a while and they know that it’s in our core values to do everything we can to give back,” White said. “I think everybody was extremely happy to be there. All the professional drivers were extremely proud to donate their time to be there in the morning and be a part of it.”
In addition to raising funds for a great cause, the drivers and companies below were honored with trophies for their valuable contributions to the convoy:
- Oldest truck – Baylor Trucking – 1963 C/O Freightliner
- Oldest working truck – Josh Caseltine, S&S Excavation – 1993 C/O Peterbilt
- Driver who traveled farthest to participate – Jerry Flincham of Fontana, CA., Baylor Trucking – 2,086 miles
- Most trucks from one company – Baylor Trucking, 11
- Drivers’ choice – Eduardo Andrade, Baylor Trucking
Make-A-Wish Ohio, Kentucky & Indiana has fulfilled a remarkable number of wishes this year, according to Katie Ferrell, the director of marketing and communications; however, there are still a significant number of wishes waiting to be granted.
“We’re filled with gratitude to have the support of truckers. They’re changing lives and giving local children and their families hope,” Ferrell told Land Line. “Now more than ever, the world needs the hope of a wish! We can’t grant wishes without generous people like them.”
As far as goals for next year’s convoy, Sellers says he and his team “would just like to build on what we have going, being able to help a great cause and have fun while doing it.”
Source: Land Line
