Big Rigs Make Wishes Come True

The Southern Indiana Truck Convoy turns a family's gratitude into a community tradition

(Versailles, Ind.) - The sound of a big truck’s air horn gets attention. But on Saturday, August 1, those trucks will be bringing attention to the wishes of children facing critical illnesses.

Nearly 100 polished chrome and custom trucks of all sizes will roll out of the Ripley County Fairgrounds for the Fifth Annual Southern Indiana Truck Convoy, a 27-mile procession that has become one of southeastern Indiana's most anticipated summer traditions.

The convoy began in 2022 with an idea from local Walmart driver Alfred Sellers. Years earlier, Make-A-Wish had granted the wish of his four-year-old daughter, an experience that Alfred and his wife, Lisa, never forgot.

Instead of simply saying thank you, they decided to pay it forward.

Sellers envisioned gathering 100 trucks for a convoy through Ripley County, with every dollar raised benefiting the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana. An impressive 50 trucks participated that first year, and the event has grown steadily and is expected to reach nearly 100 trucks this year.

Over the past four years, the convoy has raised more than $120,000—enough to help grant approximately 12 wishes.

The convoy’s success is due to the hardworking people behind the wheel. "The trucks and the drivers are very special," Seller says. "Every truck and every driver has a personal story." Those stories are what make the convoy unique.

Owner-operators line up beside large trucking companies, each bringing trucks they've spent countless hours maintaining, polishing and personalizing. Some trucks are spotless showpieces. Others proudly wear the miles they've accumulated over decades on the road.

The event also depends on businesses and community partners who return year after year. Companies including Krumm Trucking, Laudick Trucking, Lake Trucking and Cincinnati Asphalt are just a few among those helping keep the convoy growing with generous donations, while dozens of volunteers quietly handle the countless jobs that make the day possible.

Creating that one-hour convoy takes months of planning.

Alfred and Lisa Sellers spend much of the year recruiting truckers, finding sponsors, organizing vendors, collecting auction donations and coordinating with volunteers. They work alongside organizers from Osgood, Hanover, Shelbyville, Bedford and Dearborn County while partnering with Make-A-Wish and local officials to make sure every detail is in place.

Even with such careful planning, there's still room for a little friendly competition.

Drivers proudly show off their rigs, hoping to win awards or simply catch the attention of spectators. During a live auction, they also compete for the honor of leading the convoy. The highest bidders win one

of the first three positions—or the coveted caboose spot—along with special banners displayed on their trucks. The lead truck also becomes the featured vehicle in next year's promotional materials. Last year a bidding war raised $31,000!

The celebration begins long before the trucks hit the road.

Gates open at 8 a.m. with free children's activities, live music, food trucks, barrel wagon rides, and nearly 40 vendors. This year's event also features Mini Moo cattle and both live and silent auctions.

By the time the convoy leaves the fairgrounds at 1 p.m., spectators are already lining the roads with homemade signs and American flags.

The route follows 350 until it turns right in Milan onto 101. Then right again when it reaches US 50, then past Versailles State Park, through Versailles, then right onto 421 heading back to Osgood.

An officer with the Indiana Department of Transportation drives the lead car to escort the convoy, while volunteer fire departments from Versailles, Milan, Osgood and Delaware temporarily stop traffic at intersections along the route to let the parade of truckers pass through.

One of Sellers' favorite sights comes near the end of the route as the trucks return to Osgood. Campers from the Delaware campground gather in golf carts, while staff at Manderley Health Care Center assist senior residents outside to watch the convoy pass. Children and seniors alike pump their arms in the familiar signal asking truckers to sound their horns, and the drivers happily respond.

Organizers are already looking beyond this year's convoy.

Working with the Ripley County Community Foundation, they hope to establish a $5,000 scholarship supporting students pursuing careers in diesel mechanics, trucking logistics and other transportation-related fields. This year's silent auction, featuring gift certificates for two hogs donated by a local farmer and meat from local suppliers, will help launch that effort.

After 27 years as an over-the-road truck driver, Sellers has spent a lifetime covering highways across America. Yet the journey that means the most lasts just 27 miles.

Asked what his own wish would be, he doesn't hesitate. "Less anger and hate in the world."

For one Saturday each summer, the Southern Indiana Truck Convoy makes that wish seem a little more possible. Volunteers from across counties and states spend months planning and working to create a memorable event, neighbors cheer from the roadside, truck horns echo through the county and the community comes together to remind families with children who are facing their toughest days that hope is rolling their way.