Clyde Green showed his 1982 Kenworth W900A at the Great Salt Lake Truck Show. (Image Courtesy of Clyde Green)The Kidney Foundation of Utah and Idaho recently received a generous donation from a charitable group of truck drivers.
Drivers participating in the Great Salt Lake Truck Show opted to give their prize money back to the show, which supports the Kidney Foundation of Utah and Idaho. The show donates to support the Truck Show Family Kidney Camp, an annual event for patients and their families at a mountain retreat.
“For most of them they never get vacations so this is their one thing they have to look forward to every year,” said Sunne Wallace, one of the truck show’s organizers.
Wallace said 21 or 22 of the 25 winners returned their prize money, resulting in a donation of about $9,000 from that money alone. This was something the drivers began with last year’s show, and even more drivers returned their prize money this year.
“More than half of the people last year gave back their prize money because they just know it’s going to be donated to the Kidney Foundation,” Wallace said. “The majority of the participants that come to the show come just to support the cause. They’re not looking for recognition, they just want to help support.”
Owner-operator Clyde Green, of Cheyenne, Wyoming, won the Competitor’s Choice Award, which came with a top prize of $3,000, with his 1982 Kenworth W900A. Green, who has attended the show a number of times, promptly gave the prize money back.
“This year I thought I was just fine before I got the $3,000 and I’ll be just fine if I give it back. It’s for the kids, not for anything else, so I thought it needed to go back,” Green said.
The Great Salt Lake Truck Show held its 30th anniversary show Aug. 9-10 at Thanksgiving Point in Lehi, Utah. The show gave out $10,000 in prize money and approximately $9,000 was returned back to be donated. Wallace said the show is thankful for the support it gets from drivers.
“They spent countless hours getting their trucks ready and showing up for three days. We give them $200 and they just give it right back,” Wallace said. “It’s amazing. It’s so heartwarming to know that we’re supported by such generous, great people.”
Individual sponsors each selected their own award winners. Those winners were:
- 10-4 Magazine Choice Award: Robert Campbell, Advanced Transportation
- Alcoa Wheels Choice Award: Casey Neilsen, Sevier Valley Transportation
- C.R. England Choice Award: George Foskit
- Carrier Transicold of Utah Choice Award: Barry Boardman, Pride Transport
- Counteract Balanced Beads Choice Award: Stephanie Henderson, Standlee Hay Trucking Co.
- Cummins Sales & Service Choice Award: Kelly Savage, Trinity Xpress
- GCR Tires Choice Award: Terrell Lund, Ralph Smith
- Godfrey Trucking Choice Award: Brandon Martinez, Advanced Transportation
- Great Dane of Utah Choice Award: Mike Murray, Mountain Country Transport
- Honstein Oil Choice Award: Jon Kelly, Savage Services
- Hub International Choice Award: Eric Gibbons, EMH Transportation
- Ivester’s Transportation Choice Award: Maximino Oropeza, Oropeza Bros Transport
- Jack’s Tire & Oil Choice Award: Barry Boardman, Pride Transport
- Jackson Group Peterbilt Choice Award: Kamrie Brinkerhoff, Bob Orton Trucking
- Mercer Transportation Choice Award: Isidro Oropeza, Oropeza Bros Transport
- North American Trailer Choice Award: Josh Skidmore, Skidmore Transportation Services
- Paccar Financial Choice Award: Maximo Oropeza, Oropeza Bros Transport
- P.D.I. Choice Award: Barry Boardman, Pride Transport
- Pilot Flying J Choice Award: Aaron Fullmer, Fullmer Trucking
- Premier Truck Group Choice Award: Mike Christensen, Robinson Transport
- Savage Services Choice Award: Josh Skidmore, Skidmore Transportation Services
- Smith Power Systems Choice Award: Lyle Wilson, L.S. Wilson
- Skidmore Transportation Services Choice Award: Troy Charboneau, K.T. Charboneau
- Utility Trailer Sales of Utah: Aero Express
- Competitor’s Choice Award: Clyde Green, Equality State Transport
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Deanne Winslett is the associate editor for Truckers News and She Drives Trucks. You can submit story leads to her at [email protected].
