“It’s tough these days,” event president Mark Smallwood says.
“There’s a million charities out there, so to see people spending their time, money and effort to support our cause, means everything.”
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Mark’s referring to the Convoy for Kids Sydney which started in 1992, where a group of volunteers put on a fundraiser to help sick children.
Now, 33 years later, the convoy is still rolling, from Sydney Dragway to the Hawkesbury Showground for a family fun day, where funds raised will go toward NETS Ambulance Service and Kidzfix.
Mark says there’s an event on just about every second week at the Hawkesbury Showgrounds, and it’s getting more difficult to fundraise.
But it’s important to keep pushing, as this year the figure raised was around $50,000, which is going toward two life changing organisations.
“NETS isn’t government-funded, so the support we give them really matters,” Mark says.
“They transport critically ill babies and kids between hospitals, so the funding we supply to them is invaluable.”
On the other hand, KidzFix make incredible custom bikes for kids with special needs.
“We pay for these specially made vehicles which can cost up to $10,000 to make,” he says.
“But we also make sure their siblings don’t miss out, so we get them a bike too, so no-one feels left behind. It’s about getting the whole family involved.”
And on October 26, families got right into the joys of the day. About 250 glistening rigs thundered toward the Hawkesbury Showgrounds at Clarendon, with a crowd of 600 either watching on, or joining in on the family fun.
“My favourite moment of the day was watching the trucks arrive at Hawkesbury,” Mark says.
“I suppose that’s what the whole day is about, along with all the people who get out there early enough to watch the trucks arrive, it’s great.”
The truckies meet at five in the morning to begin their drive down to the showground and leave just after lunch. Some even go straight to work, which is a tell-tale sign of their dedication to helping others and supporting small communities.
From vintage rigs to everyday working trucks, there were tow trucks, rigids and trailers, with everything and anything in between.
At the showgrounds however, there was a different kind of vibe, it wasn’t just a sea of chrome and steel, no, there was chatter, music and the lingering smell of warm goods mixed with diesel.
Kids darted between carnival rides, faces painted and eyes wide with excitement. Local radio filled the air while parents chatted and browsed the food trucks.
After the crowds went home, the trucks rolled away and the volunteers packed up, it’s noted that after more than three decades, Convoy for Kids is a symbol of what the transport community stands for.
It’s an event driven by love and the desire to make a difference. So come along again next year and help support a cause close to the heart of the transport community.
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