WAUPUN — The Waupun Truck-n-Show Committee held their final meeting to finalize details about ending the Truck-n-Show.
The meeting was held Saturday, September 14 in the conference room at Fox Valley Savings Bank in Waupun.
This year’s Waupun Truck-n-Show had a total of 636 trucks in the parade, with 526 of those in the competition. They raised record breaking numbers for the fundraisers and sold out of almost everything they provided at the event.
The members of the Committee had decided last year to make this their final show, as the 35th Annual was thought to be a good year to end on. This decision was primarily based on a lack of new volunteers and the desire for many of the long-time members to retire. Three of the leadership, Duey VandeZande, Nancy Kutschenreuter, and Lola Millner had been leading members for decades.
While it was a hard decision, they felt it was time to let it go after having one final ‘Show.
Some other members of the community expressed interest in starting a new truck show in Waupun, but the Truck-n-Show Committee emphasized that this was their last show and that the opportunity to continue the event has passed due to not enough new people joining the organization over the last few years. If Waupun ever has a new truck show, it will be separate from the original Waupun Truck-n-Show, formerly known as the Trucker’s Jamboree.
Also discussed at the meeting were how to disperse the remaining funds they had not yet given to their beneficiaries, Make-A-Wish and REACH Waupun.
One item of interest was another shirt sale. Since the shirts at the actual Truck-n-Show sold out so quickly, the Committee made another order which should be coming in soon. This order will only include one style, black with the Truck-n-Show graphic on it. Plans have been made to hold the sale at Edgewood Church once the shipment arrives, but no date has yet been released.
In regards to the rest of their materials, they will be dispersed responsibly. Several documents, photographs, and other items were donated to the Waupun Historical Society following the meeting. The red street banners were distributed to interested members of the committee. Many other items were kept by long-time committee members as keepsakes, including Stanley the Gorilla, a vintage stuffed animal that’s been with the Truck-n-Show for as long as can be remembered, given to Duey VandeZande by the winner of its auction at the last recent ‘Show.
The Committee will be holding their final appreciation dinner for their volunteers on November 9 at The Rock Golf Club, with cocktails at 5:30PM and dinner at 6:30PM. They are also planning a party to be held next August at the time when they would have held their next Truck-n-Show if it had continued.
