In 2001, Corporal Norm Schneiderhan of the Orange County Sheriff's Department in Florida had an idea: bring the trucking industry into the Law Enforcement Torch Run family. Twenty-five years later, that idea has grown into the world's largest truck convoy, rolling through 40 states and 5 provinces every year, all in support of Special Olympics.
Special Olympics Ontario joined the movement in 2004, and since then, drivers, athletes, and volunteers have gathered every summer to raise funds for Special Olympics athletes across the province. But ask anyone who has been coming back year after year, and they'll tell you it's not really a fundraiser. It's a reunion.
Few people understand that better than Tammy Blackwell, Event Coordinator for Truck Ride and now heading into her 22nd year. For her, the pull has never been about the miles. “The community that has been created by this event keeps most of us coming back,” she says. “The drivers, athletes, and volunteers have become a family. Everyone has a common goal: to promote and fundraise for Special Olympics. It's a special event that's lasted through relationships.”
Don Poll knows that feeling too. He first got involved representing his family's business, Drumbo Transport, and now drives for FS Central Ontario, marking his 21st year on the road. What keeps him coming back isn't just tradition. Three of his nieces have participated in Special Olympics programming over the years, and that connection has stayed with him. “That is what it is like, a family,” he says. “I love to see familiar and unfamiliar faces, to sit down and have a talk, remembering the good old days, catch up on the year that has passed, talk about how much we've raised, and do what we do best: DRIVE.”
That family shows up for each other in ways that go beyond the ride itself. When COVID restrictions forced the event into a scaled-back, athlete-free route, drivers still insisted on fundraising. As the ride headed out the gates, expecting a quiet, half-day drive, they spotted something across the road: one of their regular athletes, wearing a full-body truck she'd built out of cardboard, cheering them on from behind her mask. “To me, it spoke to the resilience and determination of our group,” Tammy recalls, “and that our athletes' presence will never be forgotten.”
That determination adds up. Last year alone, Truck Ride raised over $145,000 for Special Olympics Ontario, funding programming for athletes in every district across the province. “This is why we ride,” Tammy says. “Many of our drivers and volunteers follow our athletes' progress all year round through social media. We're inspired by them, and we hope we've helped them along the way.”
It's also why the companies keep showing up. Most arrive without knowing quite what to expect. “It's a joy to hear them report back that they loved the event and want to do more,” Tammy says. “It's not often you can interact directly with the people your fundraising supports, and Truck Ride does that.”
Every year, the driver who raises the most leads the ride, a tradition that carries its own weight. Gord Boudreault, last year's lead driver, admits he didn't see it coming. “The year before, I wasn't the lead driver, and I envied whoever was,” he says. “I was proud to be the lead driver. I did my best to represent what this cause is truly about: camaraderie, respect, and community support.”
For Brian Busch, who drives with TF Warren Group, the ride carries a family legacy of its own. His father was one of the original drivers in the Paris ride, and since his father's passing, Brian has continued the tradition in his memory. It's personal in another way too: his wife's son is autistic, giving the family a direct understanding of why inclusion and support matter, for athletes and everyone else involved. His message to anyone new to the community is simple: “Join, participate, volunteer, come out and have fun. I can guarantee you'll be coming back the following year. Truck Ride is so much bigger than just trucks. It's the athletes, the friends, the memories that bring you back year after year.”
Twenty-five years in, that's the thread running through every story: drivers from 40 states and 5 provinces, showing up not because they have to, but because the community, and the athletes at the heart of it, keep pulling them back.
The next reunion takes place on August 29, 2026. To join as a driver, donor, or volunteer, visit truckride.ca
