More than 100 truckers from throughout Nova Scotia and beyond joined forces on September 21 to hold the World’s Largest Truck Convoy. For the second year in a row, Nova Scotia joined three other Canadian provinces to host the only convoy of its kind in Atlantic Canada, to raise $24,593.83 for Special Olympics athletes. Travelling to and from CFB Shearwater, the trucks rolled down the streets of Dartmouth, Cole Harbour, and Eastern Passage to the cheers of hundreds of spectators.
“Truckers understand, from their long hours on the road, the importance of friends and family,” says Anne Marie Shannon, Director of Events and Communications for Special Olympics Nova Scotia. “When truckers get together, amazing things can happen – and today they proved it. The money from this fundraiser will go towards ensuring that Special Olympics programs remain free for all of our athletes, including travel to our national games.
“We’ve had amazing support from our volunteers and sponsors, and the convoy has built strong relationships between our athletes and the broader community. Since last year, many of our truckers and athletes have kept in touch year-round. At first, some truckers can be hesitant to have our athletes ride along in the cab, but by the end of the convoy, you could see them high-fiving and smiling from ear to ear. That’s really powerful.”
With 102 trucks in this year’s convoy, Special Olympics Nova Scotia shattered last year’s benchmark of 57 trucks and nearly $19,000. The local leg of the convoy was part of an international event which united more than 1,000 truckers in 22 states and 4 provinces. After the trucks returned to CFB Shearwater, everyone joined in a celebration event that included barbecue, live music from Bitters & Porter, and the comedic styling of Milo the clown. Children also brought their toy trucks for a miniature convoy.
We’ll have lots of photos and new videos coming out in the next few weeks, so stay tuned for the latest developments on the convoy blog and on our Facebook page.