For the 30th time, hundreds of truck drivers gave up their precious weekends to do something for children battling serious health issues. In doing so, they are expected to have raised several hundred thousand dollars for the Make-A-Wish organization of Philadelphia, Northern Delaware and the Susquehanna Valley.
And, it all started with a little boy who wanted a ride in a big truck.
“The Mother’s Day Truck Convoy has a pretty famous origin story,” said Ben Lee, regional director for Make-A-Wish. “In 1990 a 12-year-old boy named Matt was a wish kid in his wish was elegantly simple: to ride in a big rig truck and talk to his sister Heather on a CB radio.
Members of the RoadPro Family of Brands staff present Mak-A-Wish officials with a check for $30,000“A call went out to the truck driving community in Lancaster County. Forty-two trucks turned out that very first year. Matt sat in the front and Heather was in the back and his wish was granted. The origin story is really organic. You could never really force something like this to take off. It started as naturally as you could ever imagine.”
Lee said those 42 truck drivers, had such a good time they asked to come back the next year, not just for Matt, but for all the kids who have had a wish granted, according to Lee.
In the last several years, the convoy has shifted into a new and even higher gear, attracting more trucks and supporting sponsors, like the RoadPro Family of Brands. Lee said the Mother’s Day truck convoy is now responsible for granting about 70% of all the wishes for children in the Susquehanna Valley.
Three Generations of Buckwalters
Mark, Lane and Lamar Buckwalter at Mother’s Day ConvoyMark Buckwalter did not drive in that first convoy. However, he was among the 80 or so drivers who showed up the next year and has been part of the convoy ever since. He and his son drove in the 30th anniversary event Sunday. They were joined by a third generation of the family.
Mark was a company driver at the time, driving a Mack R model and pulling a reefer. Buckwalter said he got involved because it helped children in need and was also good for the image of truck drivers.
“I heard it was for the children and I wanted to be a part of being able to give them their wish,” said Buckwalter. “I just thought it was a great idea to have truckers involved in something like that to get a positive attitude towards truckers.”
With him during that second Mother’s Day convoy was his son Lamar, who was 12 years old at the time. In fact, Lamar was a frequent traveler with his dad when he was younger.
“Back when I was in school, his dispatcher over my Christmas break told me I had until April to give him a list of everywhere I wanted to go,” said Lamar on Sunday. “So as soon as I got out of school, he would start spacing them, runs for him and I to go together. I got to see Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick. Got to see Texas. Got to see Florida, all the midwestern states, anywhere I wanted to go. It was pretty exciting for a 12-year-old. It was exciting and it’s still exciting.”
Today, Lamar Buckwalter is an owner-operator with his own authority operating two trucks. He drives one and his father drives the other. They haul temperature-controlled LTL from Lancaster County to just about anyplace else.
On Sunday, Lamar’s 13-year-old son Lane rode with his dad during the convoy. Keeping up the family tradition, he rides with his dad as often as he can. While he’s not sure he will follow in his dad’s footsteps as a driver, Lane said he will remain involved with trucks, most likely as a mechanic.
The RoadPro Family of Brands sponsored the Mother'sDay Convoy and presented the Make-A-Wish folks with $30,000.
The 30th annual Mother's Day Convoy drew an intergalactic crowd.
Entertainment was part of the convoy in Lancaster. So was an all-day rain.
Organizers expected a record number of trucks at Sunday's convoy.
The stars on the side of the trailer of the lead truck in the convoy represent children who lost their battles with the illnesses that brought them to Make-A-Wish.
Yes, that is a flying monkey on the front of this Wizard o Oz-themed truck.
The Make-A-Wish convoy is held rain or shine and some drivers came prepared for Sunday's steady downpour.
Trucks of all sizes were in the convoy.
In the 30 years of the convoy, $6.7 million has been raised.
A vintage Brockway was part of this year's convoy.
The annual convoy covered 26 miles from Lancaster to Ephrata and back
The Lancaster event has broken the Guinness Book of Records mark for the longest convoy three times.
The original convoy attracted 42 trucks and has grown markedly since then.
UPS and FedEx may compete, but their drivers were part of Sunday's event. UPS driver Kevin Dick has been in the convoy 1 years and FedEx driver Terry Swartz has driven for nine.
Ben Lee, regional director for Make-A-Wish, cheers on truckers as the convoy begins.
The original convoy began when a youngster wished to ride in a big truck and talked to his sister on a CB radio.
