Edmonton Puts The Hammer Down!

Well, when the Edmonton terminal of Rosenau Transport decides to step up to the plate and do their part for 18 Wheels Of Christmas, they do it in style and size large!

Under the watchful eye of the 18 Wheels, Edmonton Coordinator, Jodi Manning, the Edmonton crew has already garnered lots of media interest in their 18 Wheels activities. They have even started receiving financial donations, including a cheque from Wingenback Transport as well as Global Transport and promises for more to come. We cannot overestimate the value of the support that we get from our partners in the Transportation Industry when it comes to the support of such a worthwhile cause.

The Edmonton Crew has many collection plans and we will update you has they become solidified, (is that really a word?).

November 28th The 18 Wheels Trailers will be at 2 Sobeys locations along with CISN 103.9 FM

December 15th The 18 Wheels crews will be heading out to 3 different Diamond Truck locations to collect the food that this outstanding company is collecting for 18 Wheels.

December 16th Delivery Day to the Edmonton Food Bank!

We wish Edmonton luck with all their collection efforts and we can't wait to see some pics and hear your stories as these events unfold. Check back often, we will keep you updated!

The Ball...errr...Boulder is rolling!

Well, it only seems fitting that our 18 Wheels Campaign kicks off where it all started! Calgary has a couple dates lined up for collection this year and we are thrilled to be back at Lake Bonavista Promenade and Douglas Square Sobey's. These two locations have been such strong supporters of our 18 Wheels Campaign that a year without you would just not be the same. So keep an eye out for that beautiful 18 Wheels Trailer being pulled by the Rosenau Truck on:

November 22nd 9:30 am to 1:00 pm Lake Bonavista Promenade
November 23rd 9:30 am to 12:00 pm Douglas Square Sobeys

They will be taking donations of food and cash at both locations. All cash donations are used to purchase the often overlooked, but, much needed baby food for the Food Bank. And, just in case you are new to our website and have not had the chance to read about The 18 Wheels Of Christmas campaign, it is important to know that "ALL" donations collected in a community stay in that community.

We will keep you posted on the success of these collection days and remember, if you can't be there to help or donate, please, make sure you drop an email to 18wheels_xmas@rosenau.org to find out how you can help make sure that no one goes hungry this holiday season and beyond!

A New Year Kicks Off!

18 Wheels is set to roll again! Event planning is underway and we are sure this will be our biggest year yet!

Stay tuned to the webpage and we will keep you posted on all the exciting news. And remember, 18 Wheels is nothing without our partners and customers in the Transportation Industry,so please, if you have not already done so, contact us to find out how you can help put food into your local Food Bank!

Wrapping Up 2007!

Another phenomenally successful year for 18 Wheels Of Christmas wraps up. It is always difficult to accurately estimate our overall contributions because the value of the food donations varies greatly. However, using an averaging system, we estimate that the total poundage to be well over 100,000 lbs and the value of this years campaign to be in excess of $250,000.00!!!

In any great cause, dedicated to helping people in a charitable fashion, there are always untold numbers of people working hard in the background, to make it happen. They do this on their own, giving up time with their friends and families. If you read through this site, you will meet some of them and read their stories. But, for every one individual whom you read about here, there are ten others not mentioned. Some of them requested it that way, some of them slipped through the cracks. That does not, in any way, diminish or minimize their contributions. In fact, the people they set out to help will never know their names either or what they did for them. But we know........and we are so thankful that you are a part of what we are all about. 18 Wheels Of Christmas is simply that. People helping People. So, on behalf of the organizers of 18 Wheels Of Christmas, I salute you and thank you for everything you have done to make 18 Wheels such a success! Know that what you have done, and will continue to do with 18 Wheels Of Christmas makes a true and lasting impact upon the lives of thousands of people.

As well, 18 Wheels would be nothing without our partners and corporate contributors.

OCEAN TRAILER ***-FIRST TRUCK***-THERMO KING***-ROSENAU TRANSPORT***-ALCOA ACCESSORY PRODUCTS***-WOW TRUCKS.COM***-MTR TRACTOR SERVICE***-TRUCK NEWS***-ALL WEST PROMO WEAR***-BESS TANK LINES***-COMPACT RENTALS***-TOM PAISH HOLDINGS***-ARTIC TRUCK PARTS***-CATTLEBOYZ***-TST PORTER***-MERCHANTS OF LAKE BONAVISTA PROMENADE***-MERCHANTS OF DOUGLAS SQUARE SOBEYS***-J & G CARRIERS INC***-FORT STORAGE AIRDRIE***-ACCORD TRANSPORTATION***-P.A. SINGER TRANSPORT***-RON SINGER TRUCK LINES***-I.D. FOODS***-CONSOLIDATED FASTFRATE INC***-SINGER SPECIALIZED LTD***- GLOBAL POWER SYSTEMS***-KRISKA HOLDINGS***-CAMPBELL & COMPANY***-106.1 THE GOAT AND THE CHRISTMAS CONVOY***-MARITIME – ONTARIO FREIGHTLINES LTD.***-MANITOULIN TRANSPORT***-BIG RIG LUBE & SERVICE***-SPITZ***-BIG HORN TRANSPORT***-STYLE CRAFT PRINTING***-STAN POULSEN TRUCKING***-BOGHEAN & CO.ACCOUNTANTS***-THE DESAULNIERS FAMILY***-CLEAN IMAGE MOBILE POWER WASH***-TIMBERLANE CARRIERS LTD***-GOUW ONIONS***-ORLICKS INC***-VITRAN***-NESTLE CANADA***-ALBERTA FUEL DISTRIBUTORS***-CARON TRANSPORTATION***-NATIONAL FAST FREIGHT***-FERNIE CARTAGE***-IROC HYDRAULICS LTD***-OVERLAND CONTAINER***-SHELDON P STIER FINANCIAL***-C.A.T.INC***-MAISON ROUGE HAIR AND BODY ART

We are also looking forward to having National Fast Freight and Armour Transport on board next year when they begin their own collection campaigns.

18 WHEELS OF CHRISTMAS could not have done this without the generous contributions of these companies and individuals. Thank you.

And perhaps most importantly, we want to thank the public at large who continue to support and further this great cause through your donations of non-perishable food items and financial contributions wherever you see an 18 Wheels of Christmas collection point.

THE MAGIC BEGINS WITH YOU

18wheels_xmas@rosenau.org

Edmonton Shows Up In Style!

Well after seeing the amazing work, generosity, and success with the 18 Wheels food drives by our Calgary and Lloydminster terminals, Edmonton decided to jump on board and begin collections around the Capital Region.

Although starting late, we consider our drive a huge success! After only a week of collections we pulled up to the Edmonton Food Bank and presented 9 skids of groceries and toiletries weighing over 3000 lbs. and valued at an estimated $10,000. Along with the food donations, Rosenau Transport employees along with Santa and his elf presented the staff at the Edmonton Food Bank with a cheque for $5000.00 which was generously donated by Maritime Ontario Freightlines Ltd.

Immediately following our delivery we collected another skid of food and $1000.00 which will also be given to the food bank.

We are very proud of everything accomplished and donated over the past two weeks. We would like to send a very big thank you to everyone who contributed and all the staff involved. We would also like to send a huge thanks to the staff at Global News Edmonton who was there during our delivery even on such short notice, you guys are great!

I would like to thank Dale Hart and Colleen Nickel at our Calgary terminal for starting up such a great program to give back to our communities. My only regret is that Edmonton did not start along with you five years ago. But we are here now and here to stay.

Seeing the happiness and reactions at the food bank made us want to make our drive bigger and better next year.

Yes Virginia.............

I guess, as years go by, it is easy for some such as I, to become more jaded and cynical about the holiday season with all of it's commercialism and pressure. You know, it somehow seems appropriate to be sitting here Christmas Eve, December 24th, 2007, telling you of some of the wonders and charity that still exist in this world. I know it does me immeasurable good.

After Santa wrapped things up in Edmonton, he put the hammer down and roared into Calgary. He had 12 reindeer under the hood for his delivery in Edmonton, but, he had to rethink when he got to Calgary. Santa had to soup up his sleigh, double his team, kick in the turbo and put his driving mind into high gear to make this delivery. We were fortunate that Santa has an LCV (Long Combination Vehicle) license cause he needed it, we had two trailers absolutely busting at the seams!

After our two days in November taking donations at Lake Bonavista Promenade and Douglas Square Sobey’s nothing seemed to be happening. Once December hit, our phones started ringing and the mail guy was bringing cheque after cheque. The shopping elves were in high shopping mode and the warehouse elves were getting dizzy from shrink wrapping all the donations. The 18 Wheels racks were filling up fast to the tune of 46 skids.

18 Wheels thinks the pictures will tell you how the delivery went on December 20. We were thankful that in addition to having an extended length license, Santa is also a certified forklift driver! Tis true Virginia, he really can do it all! We will let you know the final totals of all the donations after the New Year. We will also be publishing the very same thank you that will be in the February Truck News issue on the blog. Thank you Karen from CattleBoyz for this suggestion we think it is a great idea and you are quite right not everybody receives the Truck News but everybody has access to the blog. We hope we don’t miss anybody.

Please take a few moments to browse the photos as words alone are sometimes difficult to define success.

18 Wheels would like to thank all of you for your donations and to all the behind the scenes people. Without you this could never have been possible.

Merry Christmas and all the best in the New Year!!!

The Calgary Crew

The Totals Are In!

Well, Christmas Convoy 2007 has wrapped up and the totals are finally in. Christmas Convoy covers the entire Midwest Lakeland Region including St. Paul, Bonnyville, Wainwright, Vermilion, Cold Lake, Elk Point and Lloydminster.

Our total campaign last year netted $32, 430. 27 for area food banks. Surprisingly enough, our total this year was almost dead on. Our 2007 total:

$32, 950.44

This is a photo taken after our big unload at The Lloydminster Food Bank. When you have this many folks committed to helping out a worthy cause, how can it not be a success!

The day after Convoy wrapped up, we were already at work planning how we can make next year an even bigger success. We at the Lloydminster Terminal are excited and proud to be a partner in this project and look forward to this next year.

On a personal note to Dale and Colleen in Calgary, none of this would have been possible without the vision you shared with us five years ago, so every success we have out there is yours as well! We just tagged along for the ride and we love every minute of it. Thank you so much for everything you have both done for the people of Alberta who do not have as much as others. And a special thank you to our company Rosenau Transport and our sponsors for the way you have rallied around this project and invested so much into it. You are an inspiration to us all!

18 Wheels Of Christmas is not over so Good Luck to the rest of the terminals in their collection efforts and we look forward to reading about your success right here!

Regards

Chris Richards and the Lloydminster Team