It’s Time 4 Text2Donate – the countdown is on! The World’s Largest Truck Convoy in support of Special Olympics Nova Scotia hits the road (literally!) this Saturday.

This year, we have set up a text2donate initiative for those who want to donate to the convoy but can’t participate in person.

What is “text2donate”?

The Text2Donate campaign is simple to use – text CONVOYNS to 20222 and donate $5 to Special Olympics Nova Scotia.

The RCMP Foundation in Moncton launched a Text2Donate initiative last year and raised $70,000 for a Remembrance Day event, Lest We Forget – all from the palm of people’s hands.

Are you shining your truck? Charging your camera (and maybe your cell phone)? We’re excited to see you this Saturday morning for a ride around Dartmouth to support Special Olympics Nova Scotia and its programs.

Are you going to be in a truck or watching the convoy? Looking forward to seeing you support truckers and the big hearts they have. Check out the convoy’s route, schedule of events, and registered trucks. See you on Saturday!

Written by Megan Winsor
Intern, Special Olympics Nova Scotia

To celebrate the last week of August (and the beginning of convoy month!), we’re going to do something different: Throwback Thursday.

On Thursdays, the convoy team will look back on previous years and others’ experiences at the World’s Largest Truck Convoy for Special Olympics Nova Scotia.

This week, I spoke with Kathy MacLean, an employee at Bestway Pro-Can about her experience with the 2014 convoy.

Kathy wasn’t a driver, but a passenger in one of the company’s trucks.

Bestway Pro-Can has been involved since the first convoy in 2012, registering nine trucks – three a year – to support Special Olympics Nova Scotia.

“The whole thing was really fun and rewarding,” she says. “Seeing it all come together like that – I felt like a part of something big.”

Alex D – the original Ice Road trucker – was in attendance last year, and Kathy remembers his presence as an exciting one.

“Having him there was a big deal,” she emphasizes.

Emboldened by 2014’s success, Kathy and other employees at Bestway Pro-Can are doing something above and beyond for 2015.

The drivers registered in the convoy are individually pledging. Each week, Bestway Pro-Can sells 50/50 tickets and has weekly BBQs where the proceeds will go to the drivers’ pledges.

“Last year we raised around $1500,” Kathy says. “We started it in August last year, though. This year we started over a month earlier in June so we’re hoping for a bigger turnout this year.”

When I ask Kathy about her favourite moments about 2014, one stood out in particular.

“During the convoy, since it’s so big, there were a lot of people who came out when they heard the honking,” she remembers. “Horns were honking, there were people on the side of the road, coming out of their homes and businesses to cheer us on.”

“It was amazing.”

We’re going strong heading into September – only a few spots left to register. Or, if you’d like to donate to those who are collecting pledges, you can do so here.

Written by Anne Marie Shannon, Director of Events & Communications Special Olympics Nova Scotia.

Receiving registrations from companies and drivers can often be a great moment of reflection on why we work so hard to raise money for Special Olympics by offering events like the Truck Convoy. Quite often we are moved by a story or memory that is shared over the phone about why being a part of this event is important to you – our participants. Why do you drive?

This week, as the Director of Events & Communications, I had the chance to speak in length to a driver who was more than happy to share with me a very personal and moving story about why he asked his company to enter him into the convoy this year. “It is hard to not get emotional when I talk about this” says Leonard Wilson from TDR Transportation and Logistics. Leonard is what he tells me is a “line haul” driver with over 20 years experience in the industry and hopes to one day get his class one and hit the road for long haul runs. During his career, he tells me he was fortunate to be introduced to a co-worker’s son who had both physical and intellectual disabilities. Leonard, who is slightly hearing impaired talked about the initial struggle to communicate. “ At first it was hard for us to talk, I couldn’t hear very well and he couldn’t talk very well. Eventually over time I got used to his gestures and from there it was instant friendship.” Leonard and his new friend would sit many days behind his work and talk about all the great things friends would talk about. “He was truly an inspiration to me, I have a special place in my heart for people with a disability. They enjoy the things in life that we take for granted”.

It was this friendship that has made Leonard want to be more than a participant for this year’s convoy. Leonard is creating what he has called his “convoy folder”. This will contain the best of hits from yester years and today. He has done this for his “trucker buddy” that he will host for the day. “They can play any song they want or the same song for the entire trip. This day is about them”.

Leonard has also taken to making sure his truck is the best it can be. He has already worked on re-painting the trim work and has approval from his company to take the truck off the road the day before to shine it from front to back. “It will be the best it can be, because they deserve the best”.

If you are a member of any social media sites, many of you will recognize his name. He is friendly, kind and determined. His goal is to raise $1000.00 in pledges and has been diligent is asking friends, family and colleagues to support his goal. He is currently at just over $800.00 so I have no doubt he will reach his goal in the next month. “ I know if everyone does their part in raising pledges, together we can all make a big difference.”

Thank you to all who have shared the many moving stories and memories with us. Each of you are doing an amazing thing. We have always said “Truckers have #bighearts”. Here is yet just one more example of that.

If you know someone who wants to be a part of this year’s convoy in Dartmouth NS, registration forms can be found online or by calling 902-429-2266 x 2. Or, if you are moved by Leonard’s story and would like to donate to his fundraising efforts, or any of those collecting pledges, you can find their donation pages here.