Charitable Truck Drivers Raise Thousands Through Convoy for a Cure

Originally posted at the Toronto Sun online – CORNWALL, Ont. – A ribbon of pink stretched along the highway near Cornwall, Ont. on Saturday as female truck drivers took to the road in support of breast cancer research.

In a new twist, Convoy for a Cure allowed male participants in its third annual event, said organizer Rachele Champagne. The fundraiser for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation began as a way to support women drivers in a male-dominated industry while raising money for a good cause.

The convoy left from the Fifth Wheel Truck Stop in Cornwall around noon on Saturday, after participants had decked out their trucks in all things pink. This year there were also a couple of buses decorated for the event, allowing more than just truck drivers to go along for the ride. Cancer survivors, like Anna Capobianco-Skipworth, were given a luxury trip in a limousine.

“It’s a fun day with all the girls and it’s for a good cause,” said Nadia Bolduc, who raised $200 this year – the third time she has added her rig to the fleet, which had 40 vehicles last year.

Champagne said drivers came from all over Ontario and western Quebec to join the convoy to Cardinal, 62 kilometers west along Hwy. 401. At a truck stop there, the participants had a barbecue and Capobianco-Skipworth spoke about her life after a double-mastectomy.

“I believe we can have a future without breast cancer,” she said before leaving Cornwall. “I have a daughter who’s 24. I don’t want her to have to worry about breast cancer.”

Champagne said Convoy for a Cure has raised around $250,000 over the last few years, and she expected the Cornwall event to bring in another $50,000 Saturday.

“It’s been a fun ride,” she said.

For more pictures of this truck driver charity event, follow this link to Flickr.