On Sunday, May 12th, I was blessed to be able to attend the Annual Philadelphia and Susquehanna Valley’s Mother’s Day Make A Wish Convoy in Lancaster, PA. This was the 24th annual celebration of this unique family fun festival. I look forward to participating each year. These special children along with their parents are sure to put a smile on your face and might even bring you to tears. The Lancaster County community and volunteers come out to provide a day of fun and excitement that create happy memories for many years to come.
Make A Wish grants wishes to children with life-threatening illnesses. Wishes range from meeting a favorite celebrity to making a trip to a desired destination, such as Disney World. The average wish costs approximately $8,500.
At this year’s event, the organization hoped to raise $325,000 and was expected to fulfill 30 to 35 wishes.
I arrived early to get a good spot in the designated parking area inside the Burle Business Park. The day’s festivities included an auction, stage acts, kid’s games, clowns, mascots/characters, live bands and food.
After enjoying some lunch and taking a walk around the grounds, it was time to check in at headquarters and meet my “Wish Child” who would ride with me throughout the convoy. This year, I had the pleasure of meeting young Ethan VanAulen from Elizabethtown, PA. Ethan really wanted to ride in a fire truck, however, none were available. He laughed when I told him, “I don’t drive a fire truck, but I carry a garden hose in my truck at all times”. I invited him up into my Freightliner, Cascadia Evolution for a look and his first words were “wow, you could live in here”. He seemed impressed with the truck and my new friend was happy to ride along with me.
At 1:30 over 300 trucks, fire engines and emergency vehicles lined up and set off to make our way through Lancaster County. The circle/loop takes about an hour and a half. Along the route, you’ll find streets filled with people cheering, waving and clapping as the trucks roll by. The children always enjoy blowing the horns therefore it gets very noisy. As we traveled along the fan filled streets, Ethan sat in the passenger seat with the window down and waved during the entire time. His arm was getting sore from waving to everyone. Each time I looked over at him, there was a big smile on his face. He told me he couldn’t believe how many people there were cheering them on. This is always a special moment for me and one I cherish each year. On these days, I’m proud to be a part of something bigger than myself and to be able to give back. The rewards these children give us far outweigh what we could ever give to them.
As always, I look forward to next year’s Make A Wish event.