The organisers of the i98FM Camp Quality Convoy had modest expectations leading up to the November 21 event last year. Since the inaugural convoy in 2005, the total of funds raised was just over $955,000, so the aim of bringing it over the $1 million mark seemed well within reach.
By the time counting had been completed on December 7, however, it was announced that more than $536,000 had been raised, bringing the total of funds raised in the convoy’s six-year history to $1,492,000.
A total of 710 trucks took part in thei98FM Camp Quality, arguably the biggest convoy in New South Wales, and possibly Australia. As well as trucks, the convoy roared with the addition of 667 motorbikes which thrilled the spectators lining the streets of the Illawarra region.
There was fierce competition among truck owners bidding for the prized position of lead truck of the convoy. Ross Transport finally won out with his donation of $71,000 to the Camp Quality cause. Not far behind was Illawarra Truck Repairs with $63,500, while MJ Rowles/Duren Transport, the top bidder of 2009, pledged $55,000.
As far as Ross Transport boss Alan Ross was concerned, there was no way he was coming second in the bidding war.
“It was Ross Transport’s 35th anniversary this year, and I was going to win, right or wrong,” Alan smiles, who donated $44,000 in 2009. “Duren Transport beat me last year and the year before, but how do you whinge when he’s donating big money?”
Ross Transport had 30 trucks in the 2010 convoy, as well as 10 sponsored trucks. In addition, sponsors boosted his donation to the tune of $40,000.
“I tried to do it on my own for two or three years, but I was getting beat every year. But at the end of the day, it’s lovely to get beat by somebody when all this money is going to the kids. It’s a good feeling,” he says.
The i98FM Camp Quality Convoy has kicked on in leaps and bounds since the inaugural event in 2005. In that year Alan donated $5000, but with i98FM’s breakfast hosts Marty Haynes and Bianca Dye enthusiastically promoting the convoy, it has grown rapidly.
“Marty is the driver of it all,” Alan enthuses. “I don’t know how he does it, but he just gets us going. He’s got a passion for it.”
Alan also heaped praised on the authorities. “Our policemen and the RTA, they just embrace the day. It brings our whole town together.
“I’ve been in the industry 35 years down here. We’ve had truck shows, and we’ve tried to get them going two years in a row and people run out of steam.”
Not the i98 Camp Quality Convoy however; it’s only problem being that police are concerned the increasing number of trucks taking part is reaching unmanageable proportions.
Certainly that’s no issue for the enthusiastic truck owners and drivers as they travel the 70 kilometre convoy route from Illawarra Coal’s West Cliff Colliery at Appin, through Warrawong and Shellharbour to the Croome Road Sporting Complex at Albion Park Rail. The trucks and the 5,000-strong crowd began arriving around 10am for the Family Fun Day. Rock star Shannon Noll was one of the main attractions, along with Golden Guitar-winning country star Kirsty-Lee Akers, and local acts The Maze and Bobby Kidd.
Marty Haynes says he is humbled by the continued support for the convoy.
“It still amazes us the way that the people of the Illawarra get behind our event,” he says. “Our goal, when we first held the convoy, was never to keep beating the total amount of funds raised, or trucks and motorbikes that we had registered, but it has just continued to grow.
“It just blows me away. I couldn’t be more proud to live in the Illawarra,” he says.
Camp Quality Illawarra Area Manager Ann Tanks was over the moon following the announcement of 2010’s fund-raising tally.
“This is absolulely mind-boggling. Our community is the best, and this is just unbelievable for us. Thank you Illawarra.”
For some of the local Illawarra transport identities, though, the only gripe was the lack of participation from the large multi-national road transport companies.
“It’s very disappointing that multi-nationals don’t get involved,” one truck owner told Owner//Driver. “They’re happy to take the money out of the town, but they don’t want to give anything back.”
In contrast, drivers from the Illawarra region and beyond were not only keen to forgo their weekend, but donated impressive sums of money straight from their weekly pay packets. It was a united effort, supporting a worthy cause and brightening the lives of the Camp Quality kids bravely battling cancer.