People may have seen a large convoy of trucks driving down Highway 1 and Highway 11 towards Regina on Saturday.
Law enforcement and truckers from different parts of Saskatchewan joined together for the 13th Annual Truck Convoy for Special Olympics.
The fundraising event takes place in a number of provinces and states in North America in what organizers call the World’s Largest Truck Convoy. Their overall mission is to raise money for Special Olympics athletes and programming.
“It offers more opportunities for our athletes to participate. For a lot of them, it’s life-changing,” said Chelsea Fidler, director of marketing and development for Special Olympics Saskatchewan.
Collected pledges and truck registration fees from the event are where the organization draws a large amount of their fundraising efforts from the event. And whatever is raised stays in the province to support local athletes.
The journey began Saturday morning from two locations. Two smaller convoys from Swift Current and Saskatoon kicked off the trip as trucks and other vehicles travelled down Highway 1 East and Highway 11 South.
The two groups eventually met up on their way to the Global Transportation Hub where an excited crowd awaited their arrival. Altogether, participants travelled 502 combined kilometres to the Queen City.
Parking space is filling up fast here at the Global Transportation Hub west of Regina. The Truck Convoy for Special Olympics has arrived. pic.twitter.com/0qlu05Dn3A
— Moises Canales (@MoisesCanalesJr) September 14, 2019
Once the trucks arrived, a demonstration of team work and strength took place during the Truck Pull competition. (Photo: Moises Canales/620 CKRM)
Around 40 to 50 trucks participated in this year’s edition of the convoy. For Fidler, she said this is a chance for members of the trucking industry to be a part of something that is heartwarming.
“It’s a really great partnership and the funds they are raising goes right to our athletes to help provide little to no costs for them.”
The warm, sunny weather produced perfect conditions for the celebration barbecue, bouncy castles for the kids and other entertainment.
One of the most anticipated parts of the day was the 8th Annual Truck Pull – a skills event that requires teams of eight to pull a 15-ton semi truck over the line in the fastest time.
“It’s a really great way to literally put your weight behind Special Olympics. . .it’s always such an amazing time.”
The annual celebration unites 3,000 truckers in 15 states and six provinces. In 2017, the event in Saskatchewan raised over $1 million.
