Midway through the Great Lakes Convoy June 26, participants stepped on the Cat Scale at the TA in Jeffersonville, Ohio, exit 65 on I-71, for a weigh-in: 6280 lbs, less than last year’s 6,800, says convoy organizer Jeanie Silk, and with more participants this year.
Bolt Express Marketing Director/Great Lakes Convoy cofounder Michelle DunnBolt Express Director of Marketing Michelle Dunn and owner-operator Jeanie Silk joined forces to launch the Great Lakes Convoy to highlight cancers specific to women and raise money to help fund ongoing research for a cure. Dunn herself is a survivor of cervical cancer — she’s been free of the disease for three years running now, concurrent with the convoy’s duration and incidence. Its third installment happened here at the Expedite Expo in Wilmington, Ohio, where I’ve been for the last day.
Jeanie Silk’s 2005 KW T300, decorated and ready to rollIt was quite an event, with participants decorating their (mostly) straight trucks or cargo vans — an auction of donated items from industry suppliers and others then followed the 30-mile run up I-71 to the TravelCenters of America location for a participant weigh-in. Those donating to the convoy’s philanthropic effort guessed the weight beforehand for a chance to win various gift-card prizes.
The tribute to women who’ve fought cancer on the back of Nick and Jenny Marcu’s expediter.What’s more, some of the participants take part in the effort as outgrowth of personal journeys — given their own battles with cancer.
Take the case of Jenny and Nick Marcu, owner-operators of a 2006 Freightliner Century straight expediter that was decorated on the back of the box a representation of the Great Lakes pink, peach, teal and white ribbon the Marcus invited attendees of the truck show — their unit is showing in the outside lot — to sign with the name of any woman in their life who’d fought cancer in any way.
Jenny tells her own story in the video below, which includes the convoy rollout.
Enjoy.
[youtube vW10lKzZ5Zk nolink]
