It's a Team's Life

Another adventure

By Linda Caffee
Posted May 14th 2013 1:47AM

Over the past four years I have listened to Henry Albert talk about his involvement with the Make a Wish Convoy and how this convoy always brings a tear to his eyes. I am a skeptic and it always seemed as if he had to be exaggerating how amazing the Make a Wish Convoy is and how well it is run.

Each of the children involved in the Make a Wish Convoy have a life threatening illness. Henry has had a child ride with him three of the four years he has participated, Henry skipped a years as he was not feeling well. The average wish costs $8500 dollars and the convoy is expected to raise $325,000 dollars that will help 35 children get their wishes.

We were on a cross-country load over the weekend that took us through Lancaster so I called Henry to get the details on where we could park and watch the trucks parade by. When I pulled off of route 30 and saw all of the cars and people along side of the road I was beginning to doubt my sanity for wanting to get into the middle of this. Eventually I found the parking Henry had directed me to and I headed over to the convoy head quarters. Bob slept through most of the convoy and was only able to see the trucks as they came back.

What I saw was rows upon rows of shiny trucks, trailers, and emergency equipment with lots of kids and clowns wondering around. I had to call Henry again so he could direct me to his truck which was buried about three rows back and in the middle of the 300 hundred to 350 trucks waiting for the convoy to start.

While talking with Henry and trying to figure how they had crammed that many trucks into such a small area other drivers would come by asking Henry about his truck. He answered questions about fuel mileage, about his tire pressure monitoring system, and also about the truck in general. That many drivers and fleet owners wondering around it was also a very large truck show.

I was able to meet Henry's Make a Wish child along with his mother. The boy was very excited and he was one among many blowing the trucks air horns and exploring the sleepers. He could not sit still as he waited for the convoy to begin. In no time at all the announcer was telling everyone to start their trucks as it was time for the convoy to start, I followed Henry's brother to a choice location to watch the beginnings of the hour long parade of trucks.

As the trucks rolled by we noticed that each truck had a banner proclaiming they had a Make a Wish Child On Board and which trucks were only participating. All of the drivers as well as the kids were blowing the air horns as well as train horns, each emergency piece of equipment had their sirens blowing and I figured the convoy could be heard in neighboring states. We had just as much fun standing and watching the trucks with the children grinning from ear to ear waving at the crowd as the kids did being riders.

The route is 22 miles and it took the trucks about an hour and a half to complete the circle ending up back at the convoy headquarters. The 22 miles of highway is lined with parked cars and people waving flags, clapping, holding up signs, and waving at the children. I would have never believed how smooth all of those truck emptied out of the parking lot if I had not seen it for myself.

It was a very proud moment when I saw Henry and his Cascadia Evolution round the corner to start the convoy with horn blaring. I was proud to be a trucker and proud that I was there to see Henry and the other drivers involvement in the Make a Wish Convoy. I even ended up with a tear in my eye as I saw the happy faces of the kids go by. Maybe next year we will be able to participate in this amazing event.