WAUPUN — The Waupun Truck-n-Show Committee held their last volunteer banquet Saturday evening celebrating their 35th and final year of the event in Waupun.
The banquet was held at The Rock Golf Club and is the organization’s final official event. The Committee held their final meeting on September 14 which discussed details on how to wind everything down.
Mayor of Waupun Rohn Bishop introduced the event, then led the group in prayer before the meal.
Following the meal, Mayor Bishop and Nancy Kutschenreuter began the speeches.
The attendees first heard from Lexi Gruber who represented the Make-A-Wish Program. Gruber thanked the Truck-n-Show organizers for their work in bringing together this event, and for partnering with Make-A-Wish for all these years.
“Since 1989, this incredible event has raised over $500,000 to support the important Make-A-Wish mission,” Gruber said. “This equates to over 100 wishes granted since the event’s inception. Thank you does not feel like enough to capture the difference this event has made within the lives of not only our wish kids, but their families and the communities around them as well.”
This year the Waupun Truck-n-Show raised $42,450 for Make-A-Wish, the highest amount raised in the event’s history. This year alone granted the wishes of five children and their families.
Similarly, the ‘Show also $24,200 for REACH Waupun, which will go towards their program and getting settled into their new space at the new Waupun Community Center at 520 McKinley St.
“Thank you never seems to be enough, but thank you—thank you for the donations, thank you for being invested,” said Jayne Harmsen, director of REACH Waupun. “Duey and Nancy, you didn’t just open the checkbook, you actually came to REACH. You found out about us, you see what we do and how it impacts the community—thank you for changing the lives of so many people down the road. And please, please know that I think so highly of you and this association, and I’m going to miss you so, so very much.”
Duey VandeZande also gave a speech thanking the members of the organization for volunteering their time for the event, and for all those who attended—both as drivers and watchers.
“It’s ending, but we’ve made a lot of memories and a lot of friends—and that we can’t take away,” VandeZande said.
The speeches were followed by a six minute slideshow video of photos and videos taken at the Truck-n-Show from this year. Some other members shared some memories from over the years, including Mayor Bishop when he volunteered back in High School.
Several volunteers also received recognition awards, including Terry Beine and the Wessels sisters, who have all been volunteers for decades.
Lola Millner specifically thanked the sisters—Marlene, Daralyn, and Karen—for their reliability throughout the many years of the Truck Show in helping run the apparel booth.
“I call them my girls,” Millner said. “They’ve been with me for many, many years. I’d just call them up in June or July and I’d say if anyone could help me, and yup, they were always game. Their dad also helped out at the truck show once upon a time, and they are just the most reliable girls. If we had more people as reliable as them, we could have kept the Truck Show going.”
She also thanked their mother for always attending the show, and for being in attendance at the banquet at 95 years old.
Various items were raffled off at the end of the evening, and a collection of commemorative Truckers Jamboree and Truck-n-Show hats were given away to attendees. Some extra shirts that had been ordered last month were also raffled off.
Two posters from the Truck-n-Show were on display and members were encouraged to sign their names.
