VEGREVILLE, Atla. — Like many Canadians, owner-operator Tom Jack and his wife Janice have been scarred by the insidious hand of cancer. And they’re fighting back.

The Vegreville, Alta. couple, who together have seen 12 friends and family succumb to the disease, have started a truck convoy to raise awareness and funds for cancer research.

In its first year, with a very short lead time, the convoy attracted 35 trucks and raised $17,768.50 for the Cross Cancer Institute in Edmonton. According to the institute, it was a record take for an event that went from conception to completion in just 10 short weeks.

This year Tom and Janice hope more than 50 trucks will show up for the convoy, now named in honor of their brother-in-law, Tony Rossi, a home insulator from Stouffville, Ont. who battled cancer for more than five years before passing away in September 2010.

“Tony Rossi’s Convoy for Hope – Pulling to Fight Cancer” will stage at the Vermilion Arena at 8 a.m. on July 23, and will head out on Highway 16 to the Lloydminster Exhibition Grounds.

“There’s a big enough area that, hey, if I get 100 trucks out, I can probably park them all there,” says Tom. “Parking’s not going to be a problem.”

The goal this year is $20,000 — double last year’s goal — and Tom is confident they’ll reach their target.

“I don’t think that’s going to be an issue,” he says. “This is only our second year, but my wife said it best the other day: the convoy has taken on a life of its own.”

To help in fundraising efforts, they’ve already started selling T-shirts, and on the day there will be bouncy castles, sumo wrestling, glitter tattoos, and a driver simulator to keep truckers and wannabe-truckers entertained. The Goat-106.1 FM from Lloydminster will keep the tunes going all day long as people come out to see the big rigs.

The majority of the money is raised by donations from carriers. Last year, the highest donor was Action Towing & Recovery.

“With a big convoy of trucks going down the road, the media attention it draws, especially on the first 10 or 20 trucks, is intense. We place trucks in order of their donation, so trucking companies that really step up get a pretty good place in line.”

Of course Tom Jack’s 2006 Western Star will lead the way. He’s an oil hauler contracted to W-K Trucking out of Mundare, Alta., a major convoy sponsor, supplying everything for the barbecue, right down to the napkins and condiments.

In 17 years of trucking, Tom has driven over a million miles accident free. But to hear him talk about the convoy, fighting cancer seems to be his real passion.

“The people that come out to the convoy, they come to share their stories about cancer. It has touched every family it seems,” he says. “This is a place to gather and talk about it and honor a person they know who fought cancer.”

He speaks passionately about all the support he has received from people in all walks of life.

“I want to say how much I appreciate everyone who helps out,” he says. “It’s a great day, a great cause, and a great industry.”
To donate to Tony Rossi’s Convoy for Hope – Pulling to Fight Cancer, click here.