Blog

“Go in a truck they said.  It will be fun they said.”  What they didn’t say was that it would be an amazing showmanship of pride and excitement like no other.  as you drive 50 km in a convoy of over 170 #BigRig trucks all while allowing you to witness hundreds of people lining the streets with signs, lawn chairs and children waving so excitingly that you can’t help but put your arm out the window and wave back like you were five years old all over again you can’t help but smile.

As the Event Planner you don’t often get to experience the essence of what you are organizing because you are always busy making sure your guests are having a great time, your sponsors are happy and that your volunteers know their role in making your event a success.  Well in September of 2015, thanks to Gary Hunt from Nova Scotia Trucking Safety Association, this event planner got to witness what makes the Truck Convoy for Nova Scotia, #BigRigs, #BigHearts, #BigResults the best and largest fundraising convoy in Canada.

On September 24^th, we will celebrate the 5^th anniversary of this event in Nova Scotia thanks to the support of partners like Irving Oil, Diesel Spec, DND Shearwater, East Coast International, Hull Transport, Nova Truck Centres, Wolseley Canada, Fisher Transport; Leading Edge Excavation and Trucking, Clearwater, MacLeod Lorway Insurance Group, Work Authority, NSTSA, THRSC, Savlatore Insurance and Subway and our fabulous media sponsors CTV, Auto and Trucking Atlantic, Chrome and Steele Radio, Canadian Trucking Magazine, and Seaside FM.

As part of our 5^th year celebrations we are pleased to welcome Mr @DarrellWard from Ice Road Truckers as our convoy marshal to the event.   Darrell Ward’s television career skyrocketed when he filmed a truck driving stunt on Montana’s Beartooth Pass in 2010. Since then, he has become a star and fan favorite of the History Channel’s TV show, Ice Road Truckers. With 35 years’ experience of extreme driving conditions, Darrell is a fearless and tireless driver who can conquer any load on any road. Holding the World’s Record for driving the longest ice road is just one of his many accomplishments. Darrell also regularly works alongside the United States Forestry Department in quenching forest fires, and routinely works in North Dakota performing environmental cleanups.

 

Participants of this year’s event can once again look forward to another day of showing off their #BigRigs “ We are excited to be planning some special 5^th year anniversary surprises to our day to thank and acknowledge those who have helped us reach this milestone.  Being a part of the World’s Largest Truck Convoy family has brought an event to our city that showcases the true spirit of the trucking industry to our community.  We have helped to forge better relationships with drivers and the Law Enforcement community, and we have helped people without a disability to accept those with a disability like they have never done before. All while helping to build stronger communities”, says Anne Marie Shannon, Director of Events and Communications, Special Olympics Nova Scotia.

But the true heart of the event is our drivers and their companies.  Each year they continue to show their support for the event with polished trucks, smiling children, and pledges.  All for a common goal of helping athletes with an intellectual disability compete in sport.  Over the past four years we have raised in excess of $180,000 that has had a direct impact on what we have been able to accomplish.  This past March we sent a team of athletes and coaches to compete at National Games in NFLD resulting in five athletes and one coach being selected to Team Canada in Austria in 2017.  Beyond sport, we are proud to be leaders in advocacy for people with a disability, supporters of leadership with our Athlete Leadership Program and resources for healthy, happy lifestyles from the inside out.  If you know someone who is aged 2 and up that could benefit from being a part of a wonderful organization, please look us up.

Truckers register to be part of the convoy and raise pledges in support of Special Olympic athletes. Pledging is the key to the fundraising arm of this event.  Last year 39 of the 172 drivers collected over almost $27,000 in pledges.  This year we are hoping to see that number rise. If every driver collected $500 in pledges, that number could rise to $100,000.  To help encourage drives to collect pledges we will be offering some great incentives as well as one large grand prize that will be the envy of all the drivers.  We encourage you to think about collecting pledges so you can have a chance to win! Our congratulations to Leonard Wilson from TDR Transport who won lead truck last year by collecting the most pledges as well as Team Bluewater for winning top team fundraiser.  Top team will receive a private visit this year from our Convoy Marshal Darrel Ward prior to the event.

Registration is now open and lots of exciting things are happening on our Facebook group. To obtain your registration forms, please visit our website at  https://www.truckconvoyns.ca/drive/register/ or call our office at (902) 429-2266 x 2.

This year we resolve to…?    

How do you ________________fill in your blank?

At Special Olympics our goal is to expand public mindsets and opinions to truly understand what we do within our communities. If we were to ask you what “Special Olympics” is, ….what would you answer? For many it would be “The Special Olympics Games”. An annual event we host that elicits images of athletes holding up medals or crossing the finish line to cheers of applause and smiling faces.

We are much more than a dedicated network of 340 coaches offering over 160 weekly programs supported by 450 volunteers for 1700 athletes in Nova Scotia, alone.

We are inspired to deliver • Advisors for proactive government policy to advocate social change for families • Builders of over 20 Nova Scotian communities with regional chapters, parental support groups, youth and health teams • Trainors of athletes in competitive sports that set national sports records like Jackie Barrett • Organizers of health and wellness programs such as FunFitness, Opening Eyes, Special Smiles, and Healthy Hearing • Connectors and sources of support for a network of social assistance programs and providers including NSDSS and RRS

Most notably, we have been given the opportunity to #changethegame by implementing the first Play Unified sport program in Canada. Play Unified offers school sport programs for elementary and high school athletes with an intellectual disability to play side by side with their school mates to break the stereotypes of those living with a disability amongst our next generational leaders.

We need your support in order to support our Athletes, communities and families.

You can be inspired too!

• Join us to celebrate on January 27th and be inspired by our Athletes and Families purchase a Special ONS gala ticket 2016
• Sponsor a Special Olympic Athlete to attend the inspired celebration and purchase a gala ticket for them
• Be there ‘virtually’ and text to donate: TEAMNS to 20222 to donate $10 to Special Olympics Nova Scotia on January 27th

We hope with your inspiration and our intentions we meet to celebrate our athletes and reach our fundraising goal of $75,000 for 2016!

 

One thing is true.  Special Olympics is “sticky.”

Each year at our Special Olympics Gala we celebrate the accomplishments of our heroes – coaches, athletes, volunteers, officials and teams. Listening to these amazing people share their reasons why they give their time so selflessly to others in their community is always inspiring.  Here at Special Olympics Nova Scotia, we do all we can to move the organization forward in a way that ensures it’s stability for the next generation of athletes.

But it is these heroes that have the best jobs of all of us.

Daren Simmons, 2015 Male Coach of the Year, said it best.

“Was there a mentor, teacher, coach or other volunteer who made a difference or had an impact in YOUR life?  A person who gave you the courage, determination and zeal to strive to be all that you could be?  Someone who helped shape both your performance and your character?  How fantastic is it that WE can be that important person in someone else’s life.”

The power behind that statement rings true for so many who week after week give up those few valuable work-free hours to dedicate their time to coaching.

Lisa Hines, 2015 Female Coach of the Year, believes in that same passion. For 15 years, she has been volunteering with the Amherst Special Olympics group.  Her commitment to volunteering was instilled in her through her family’s actions.

“Both of my parents were volunteer coaches in our community in Softball and Hockey, as well as community groups, church groups and anywhere else that needed a helping hand.” Lisa continues, “Volunteering for me was always a natural fit, and combining that with sport joins the best of the two worlds that I hold dear.”

So much so, that even though she currently resides in Lawrencetown, her weekends often involve long hours on the road travelling back to Amherst to be with her athletes.  “I saw the wonderful opportunities that the athletes were given and how they give their all in everything they do, and I thought, the least I can do is give them my all too. While I have tried my hand at several different sports, Floor Hockey and Soccer are the two I love the most.”

Lisa has invested in her coaching as well.  She is NCCP certified in Special Olympics Community and Competition, and NCCP Youth Soccer and has also taken online courses in Fair Play/Ethical Decision Making and Concussion Prevention.

“SONS is home for me. The most wonderful, giving, selfless and inspiring people I have ever met proudly wear the SONS logo.”

When you meet Daren Simmons you instantly know that the star qualities that make you coach of the year are a part of all that he does as well. He has committed to being the best he can be through training in his coaching and has Athletics Sport Coach certification, Special Olympics Competition Coach, Multisport Coach and recently added Rhythmic Gymnastics and numerous modules, webinars and conferences to his CV over 13 years.

“You can say that I have an invested interest in Special Olympics with two of our boys heavily involved as athletes.  However, it isn’t something that we dedicate our time to. It is essentially who we are.’

Special Olympics has engrained itself into the very fabric of our athletes, coaches, volunteers and families.  Daren and his wife Kem are true examples of the power of our movement beyond the results on the scoreboard.

“At Special Olympics our coaches and volunteers go further than just teaching the skills and spirit that define an athlete.  Our volunteers are more than just role models and character builders.  They help athletes with intellectual disabilities find their own strengths and their own abilities. They then show them how to build upon those strengths and witness the zeal to strive for improvement.” 

Join us January 27th at the Cunard Centre in Halifax and be inspired by these heroes. Your support provides valuable programming and services to Special Olympic athletes right here in Nova Scotia every day of the week. Buy your tickets today.