SASKATOON — Joining several other Canadian provinces for the first time, Saskatchewan held its Special Olympics Truck Convoy recently. And now that the numbers are in, organizers can boast of its huge success.

The 45-truck lineup was able to raise $11,300 at the inaugural event.

If you were in Saskatoon or Regina in mid September — or anywhere in between — it would have been difficult to miss. Thirty-five trucks left Saskatoon’s Credit Union Centre lined up end-to-end and escorted by police cruisers. Ten more trucks joined the procession from a staging area in Chamberlain, Sask. for the balance of the 260-km trip. The convoy arrived in Regina just in time to make a pass through Ipsco Place, where competitors in the National Truck Driving Championships were just breaking for lunch.

The Saskatoon Police and Saskatchewan Trucking
Association played a huge roll in the convoy’s success.

The final destination was just across the street at Mosaic Stadium where Frontier Peterbilt staff cooked up hotdogs and hamburgers for the barbecue. Special Olympics Athlete, Justin Duong, made a short and heartfelt speech, thanking the drivers for their efforts.

Ed and Lori Wright, a husband-and-wife team with Kindersley Transport earned lead truck honors with $1,440 in fees and pledges collected for Special Olympics. Jay’s Group of Companies, based in Regina, had 10 trucks signed up and raised over $2,000 in pledges.

T&T Trucking brought in fees and pledges totaling $1,550. Saskatoon’s Q-Line Trucking ran six trucks in the Convoy and brought $1,000 to the table. Maximum Truck Driver Training had six trucks signed up and raised $1,100 for Special Olympics. In all, 18 carriers were involved this year.

Event co-coordinator Paul Perry called the turnout “pretty impressive” for the first go-around. The safety and compliance officer for the Jay’s Group of Companies in Regina, Perry told us the event came together in somewhat of a hurry.

He says much of the credit for pulling it together should go to PC Joe Tatatyn of the Saskatoon Police Service and to Jim McQuoid of the Saskatchewan Trucking Association.

“They were instrumental in getting the word around the industry here in a relatively short time and drumming up a lot of support for the event,” Perry says. “And we owe a big thank-you to our escorts from the Saskatoon and Regina City Police as well as the Saskatchewan Dept. of Highways.

“Word’s gotten out about our first convoy,” says Perry. “We’re already getting inquiries about how to participate in next year’s event. Just wait ’till next year…”