Sauder's Participates in 2007 Make-A-Wish Convoy

         With sirens screaming, horns blaring and lights flashing, a convoy of more than 450 trucks took to local roads and highways on Sunday afternoon, May 13, 2007, to help make wishes a reality.

        The 18th annual Make-A-Wish Mother's Day Convoy brought out thousands of people sitting along Route 222 and streets in Ephrata to watch the world's largest moving convoy.  The ultimate goal of the convoy is to pay tribute to the children in the Make-A-Wish program.  This year's monetary goal was to raise $300,000 to go toward granting wishes for ill children.  Make-A-Wish granted 86 wishes for children last year in Lancaster, Lebanon, Dauphin, and Perry counties, and the convoy plays a big part in making the wishes a reality.  Many of the trucks had a Make-A-Wish child riding inside during the convoy.

        Events like the convoy are important to bring to light the struggle children and families have to go through in dealing with diseases.  The convoy is the essence of a community working together, with more than 200 volunteers and 23 separate committees teaming up to put it all together each year.

        People sat in the back of pickup trucks, on lawn chairs and on blankets to wave at the drivers and their Make-A-Wish passengers.  The convoy lasted more than an hour and a half.

People line the Landis Valley Road bridge and the shoulder of Route 222 as the Make-A-Wish convoy heads north in Manheim Township Sunday.	People wave to the Make-A-Wish convoy on Route 222 as it passes under the Landis Valley Road bridge.

Sauder truck drivers Jeff Zerbe (center) and Dan Lundvall (right) shined up their trucks to participate in the convoy.  Randy Ferrari (left), Sauder's Transportation Manager, poses with his drivers.  Thank you, Jeff & Dan!!