Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/325809
Spring 2014 3 To cover all the bases, we ran the idea by Toby Young, the executive pro- ducer of the Mid-America show, who provided a meeting room and free exhibition passes to show for Scouts, parents and leaders. Brian Weigel, Program and Ad- YDQFHPHQW'LUHFWRUDW7KH/LQFROQ%R\6FRXW&RXQFLORIIHUHGKLVVXSSRUW%ULDQ·V wife works for a transportation company so she understood our mission. The Scout registrations began to pour and we had to limit the participants to 200 Scouts, plus parents and Scouting leaders. Another 50 Scouts were placed RQDZDLWLQJOLVW2XUPHHWLQJURRPZDVIXOODQGWKHHQHUJ\DQGWKH6FRXWV·UH- sponses were simply tremendous. A real bonus is the attendees were able to ZLWQHVVÀUVWKDQGKXQGUHGRIH[KLELWVRQWKHVKRZÁRRURIQHZSURGXFWVWHFKQRO- ogy and new ideas. Our dreamed-for event was successful thanks to Matt Slovack and the oth- er helping Ambassadors. Plus there were helpful Sponsors, like ATA, Walmart, Frito Lay, Freightliner, Detroit, Western Star, Cummins, J.J. Keller, Bendix and Hummer Transportation , which provided food, drinks and covered other miscel- ODQHRXVFRVWV7KH6FRXWVZHUHVRLPSUHVVHGE\RXULQGXVWU\·VSURGXFWVDQG people who went out of their way to welcome and teaching them about transpor- tation. Our plans are to hold similar events at Walcott Truckers Jamboree and the Great American Trucking Show and exploring other opportunities where the pos- itive messages can be shared with more young people. We were able to show over 200 young men that the trucking industry is thriving and growing and just ZDLWLQJIRUWKHPWRFRPHRQERDUGZKHQWKH\·YHÀQLVKHGWKHLUHGXFDWLRQ,W·VD fact that these young men loved learning about trucks, and will be ready to ac- cept the challenge to help us keep trucking great in the future.