Hundreds of truck drivers from across Wisconsin teamed up with law enforcement on Saturday, September 17 for the 18th Annual Truck Convoy for Special Olympics Wisconsin, presented by Kriete Truck Centers. Traveling together from Mercury Marine in Fond du Lac to the Exploratory Aircraft Association in Oshkosh, the statewide trucking community helped raise more than $67,000 and spread awareness for Special Olympics Wisconsin athletes.
“The funds and awareness raised during this great annual tradition not only gets more athletes on the playing field, it also helps Special Olympics Wisconsin provide incredible health programming and leadership opportunities, as well as promote inclusion in Wisconsin’s schools,” Special Olympics Wisconsin President & CEO Chad Hershner said in his keynote address at the lunch reception. “This event showcases the trucking community at its finest—an incredibly giving group that is focused on family and the bonds of the larger community. And this convoy is a perfect example of that.”
This year’s event featured a kickoff ceremony and lunch reception, hosted by Mercury Marine and the EAA respectively, and was emceed by longtime sports radio host and Fond du Lac native Bart Winkler. Program speakers and guests included Convoy Athlete Marshal Travis Stuckart, Convoy Marshal and Wisconsin Motor Carriers Association Truck Driver of the Year Carmen Anderson, Wisconsin State Patrol Colonel David Fish, Special Olympics Wisconsin President & CEO Chad Hershner, and representatives from event sponsors Kriete Truck Centers, America’s Service Line, and E.H. Wolf & Sons.
Kriete Truck Centers, which specializes in truck sales and leasing, was named Presenting Partner for the 2022 Truck Convoy.
“All of us at Kriete Truck Centers take great pride in being the presenting sponsor of the 18th Annual Truck Convoy aimed at increasing support for Special Olympics here in Wisconsin,” President & CEO David Kriete said. “The spirit with which Special Olympics athletes compete is inspiring, and nothing makes us happier than to see the genuine joy and camaraderie that they and their families experience in being part of what is truly a very special organization.”
Additionally, Special Olympics Wisconsin welcomed two Platinum Partners to this year’s Convoy— E.H. Wolf & Sons and America’s Service Line.
“E.H. Wolf has been partnering with the Special Olympics for more than 13 years,” said Vice President of Marketing & Sales Brad Gulbrandson. “And just like E.H. Wolf, we know it provides a positive impact in the communities across the great State of Wisconsin.”
“America’s Service Line is very excited to partner with Special Olympics and support the 2022 Truck Convoy,” said America’s Service Line President Scott Willert. “Our people and our company take great pride in supporting this outstanding organization and the great work it does for so many.”
The annual convoy also marks the end of National Truck Driver Appreciation Week and pays tribute to some of Special Olympics Wisconsin’s biggest supporters—the men and women who move America. The event also gives Special Olympics Wisconsin and the trucking community a chance to say thanks to the state’s amazing law enforcement personnel who keep Wisconsin’s communities and highways safe.
Special Olympics programs across America will host similar events to celebrate truckers. The event takes place in 13 states and four Canadian provinces in partnership with the Law Enforcement Torch Run, a volunteer movement established by members of the law enforcement community to raise funds and build awareness of Special Olympics.
Since 2005, Wisconsin’s Truck Convoy has raised more than $1.6 million for Special Olympics athletes.
The 2022 event would not be possible without the support of Presenting Partner Kriete Group; Platinum Partners E.H. Wolf & Sons and America’s Service Line; and Gold Partners Schneider National, Sparhawk Trucking, Truck Country, TTI Trucking, Wisconsin Motor Carriers Association, and XPO Logistics. Additional thanks goes out to our Truck Convoy Hosts: Mercury Marine & the EAA.
More information about the Truck Convoy can be found at the Truck Convoy event page.
Check out images from the event on our Flickr album.
