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Best of Senior Living Eight Years Running

“Before my husband’s move to Juniper Village, I toured six other homes. What set Juniper Village apart was the smiles and eye contact of the staff and residents. We felt it indicated a happy environment. Juniper Village at Mount Joy is a truly pleasant place to live; clean and well-appointed. But most important is the care my husband receives. His needs are anticipated and fulfilled with kindness. His call bell is answered promptly. We are very happy with our choice. Thank you to all the staff at Juniper Village at Mount Joy for the excellent care my husband receives.”

Dottie & Kerry S. fi ve-star review on SeniorAdvisor.com “We are beyond thrilled with my Mom’s care at Juniper Village at Mount Joy. The staff is wonderful and cheerful, which helps all of us when these decisions for more care are being made. Mom is happy and loves the staff. We as a family highly recommend Juniper for your loved one’s care, it is a paradise.”

Pam C. fi ve-star review on SeniorAdvisor.com

THE EXPERIENCE YOU NEED FROM THE ONES YOU CAN TRUST. CALL DEB MILLER OR MARY MAIN AT 717.492.9692

Senior Living at Mount Joy

607 Hearthstone Lane, Mount Joy, PA 17552 | 717.492.9692 junipercommunities.com

Serving the Transportation Industry with Excellence Since 1990

Dry Bulk Material Handling Logistical Services Jockey Services Brokerage Services (717) 653-0432

GFI Transport 860 Milton Grove Road Mount Joy, PA 17552

The History of the Mother’s Day Truck Convoy

The idea of the Mother’s Day Truck Convoy was born over 30 years ago, and it all began with Wish Kid Matt Strausser. Matt was fascinated with big rig trucks, so it was no surprise when he wished to ride in a big rig and talk to his sister Heather on the CB radio.

Ken Laukhuff, Make-A-Wish board member and president of Teamsters local #771 at the time, decided to take on the wish. He reached out to multiple companies with the same hopeful request – to see if they would be willing to donate both a truck and driver who could give Matt a ride. The idea was well-received, however each company explained that they would have to look into both the insurance and compliance of the delicate situation. Not too long after, Ken heard back from everyone with the good news that they all wanted to participate and take a Wish Kid for a drive. With eight committed companies, the idea of the Mother’s Day Truck Convoy was officially put into action.

After an article inviting more trucking companies to participate was published in the local newspaper, the number of companies wanting to join in on the fun grew from 8 to 44. With that many trucks expected, all the Wish Kids in the Lancaster area were invited to ride in the trucks as well. The date for the first Convoy was set for Mother’s Day that year, May 13, 1990.

Back then, the shops in the Lancaster Shopping Center were closed on Sundays, and they gave permission for the trucks to start and end the Convoy on their property. With the number of participants, volunteers and spectators expected that day, the next piece to figure out was food and beverages. Thankfully, local companies were willing and able to donate what they could, such as orange drink from Pensupreme Dairies, hot dogs from Kunzler, charcoal from Miller & Hartman, pretzels from Anderson Bakery and rolls, ice, bags from Aument’s IGA in addition to the chicken bar-b-que they lent for the day.

Everyone contributed their time and expertise to make sure the event would go over well. State Police provided an escort while volunteers took care of the stands. One of the Wish Kids was unable to get up into a truck cab, so a State Trooper gave him and his mother a ride in the back of the cruiser complete with a hookup to his CB radio. J.C. Hale, the founder of Make-A-Wish Lancaster, and his wife Carole attended their niece’s wedding the day before, which included a large tent rental. The tent needed to be returned on Monday, making it the perfect concession set up for the Convoy the very next day. All the small details that day came together perfectly, and the first Convoy was able to raise $8,000! Everyone’s experiences from the day helped make the obvious decision that the Convoy should become an annual event.

The next year, J.C. Hale worked with Burle Industries to host the Convoy in their spacious parking lot. 170 trucks joined the fun and helped to raise $32,000. The third annual convoy in 1992 helped establish the official event set-up that would be used throughout the following years – tents for concessions and registration, an auction, live music and games were included as entertainment for the wish families and community to get involved with. Convoy Clowns were introduced to collect donations and spread joy throughout the day. That year, 226 trucks participated and $50,000 was raised to help grant life-changing wishes.

As the Convoy’s success increased each year, so did the number of wishes the chapter was granting. To help this cause, J.C. Hale wanted to expand Convoy outreach to a national level, and then-Executive Director Anne Rickert decided to contact a national trucking magazine to provide coverage for the event. While it took some convincing to attend, the photo journalist knew within an hour of being at the Convoy that she would return and com-