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Hwy 41 Toy Convoy brightens Christmas for area children

BY KATY O ISHEE
Posted 11/10/20

In the midst of all the sad stories about Covid and lay-offs, I’m going to bring you a story that truly has a happy ending. It’s about a group of people who come together once a year, like a big family reunion to make Christmas special for the children...

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Hwy 41 Toy Convoy brightens Christmas for area children

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In the midst of all the sad stories about Covid and lay-offs, I’m going to bring you a story that truly has a happy ending.

It’s about a group of people who come together once a year, like a big family reunion to make Christmas special for the children.

The annual Highway 41 Toy Convoy was a welcome sight to the children of Coffee and Bedford Counties, Sunday Nov. 1. People came from miles around to see the funny rides; big ones, little ones, fat ones, all riding side by side.

There were motorcycles, trucks, hot rods, and jeeps, big horns and little horns and horns that go beep beep. 

Over 350 vehicles of all shapes and sizes stretched for over six miles down the highway.

Highly decorated police officer Cathy Hinners rode with Michele Ladd, CEO of National Veterans Resources, in the Hero mobile, a  32-foot, American flag wrapped RV that  lead over 325 vehicles of all shapes and colors from Manchester to Wartrace.  Thirty veterans signed the RV while visiting the Hero Mobile.

Over $25,000 in toys were donated Sunday as the convoy celebrated their 2nd year in Wartrace. In 2019 Wartrace warmly embraced the convoy brightening Christmas for hundreds of children. Last year the convoy donated a young Norway Spruce, for the town of Wartrace and the town gave them a beautiful plaque thanking them for their generous donations.  Members of the convoy brought decorations and decorated the little tree which one day will top 30 feet.

The convoy was founded in 1997 when I organized it for the Highway 41 ABATE motorcycle club. Three years later, the club folded and we had to decide whether to try and keep the convoy rolling or stop it altogether.  We knew if we stopped it and then tried to start it up later, it would never be what it is today.  So we kept it rolling with a little help from our friends.

Kenneth Allen came from Elyria, up in northern Ohio, 589 miles one way, to join the convoy.  Allen also showed his 1928 Ford pickup and took home a trophy for best of his class.

Michele Ladd and Randy Schue are from Rochester, New York. our other long distance participants said they would be back next year.

The weather was beautiful as the front moving across Tennessee kept the flags flying high all day. It was an amazing site to see all of these good people coming together to help the children. As far as you could see in front of you and behind you was the American flags sprinkled with Trump flags and one Biden sign. People from all walks of life, doctors, lawyers, nurses, retired, working men and women were happy to be there to help the kids. They will need more help than ever with the covid that has disrupted so many families.

It took many months of planning, advertising,  social media, word of mouth, and phone calls were made well in advance of the First Sunday of November date. People don’t just show up in a parking lot with a lot of toys.

One family, Billy and Fran Eley, from Hillsboro, shopped for the kids all year and bought over 1600 toys alone, filling a large closed in trailer.  We filled a  box truck from the floor to the ceiling and a pickup truck with 4 bicycles.

Shonna Payne Harrison, dIrector of the Motor Maids, TN District,  lead rocker of the former Little Queen Heart Tribute band,  and member of the Nashville Opera sang the National Anthem and led the group in the Pledge Allegiance.  The Motor Maids is the oldest ladies motorcycle club in North America. The club was founded in 1940.

This year we saluted the men and women in Blue and our first responders. The 9-11 Memorial traveling exhibit vehicle joined us this year, too.”

The convoy is known for its generosity to the convoy folks and gives back to them by way of door prizes. Over 40 door prizes were given away to lucky winners donated by area businesses. ThIrty gift bags and medallions were given the kids who attended and visited with Santa.

Friends of Highway 41, Fran and Billy Eley, Samuel and Misty Jarrett, Rodney Hall and the Ridge Runners Jeep club surprised me, with a beautiful walnut plaque thanking me for my dedication to the convoy for 24 years. I was given over 4 dozen flowers (2 dozen were roses) by the children attending the convoy. Each child  thanked me as they gave me a long stemmed rose, a carnation or lily.  I was not expecting that and it really touched my heart.

The toys will be distributed thru the Wartrace Fire Department, Manchester Police Department and the Steve Graves/Gene Taylor Christmas Foundation. I’ve worked with Steve Graves for over 22 years and he’s done so much for the children. Graves, former Sheriff of Coffee County, was recognized for his service to the children and the convoy.”  

The whole town of Wartrace participated and helped with the parking and opened the shops and museum. We had four food trucks come in: barbecue, Caribbean food, hamburgers and brats plus the Iron Horse was open with their brick oven pizza.

The toys will be distributed thru Wartrace Fire Department, Manchester Police Department and Steve Graves/Gene Taylor Christmas Foundation.

I want to thank everyone who helped to make this convoy a success.  Come join us next year Nov 7, 2021, as the convoy celebrates its silver anniversary, 25 years of brightening Christmas Day for thousands of area children.