Latest / Towing News Now / How A Tow Truck Parade Builds Trust And Gives Back

Transcript

How A Tow Truck Parade Builds Trust And Gives Back · Towing News Now

• 0:05
  SPEAKER_09: Welcome on all to the Boeing News Now podcast.
• 0:09
  SPEAKER_09: A podcast dedicated to insightful interviews, news stories that affect the towing industry, and a weekly spotlight on sewing supplies and equipment.
• 0:20
  SPEAKER_09: We have two hosts.
• 0:22
  SPEAKER_09: One of them has been in the business for 40 years.
• 0:26
  SPEAKER_09: The other has charming life of many years, who also is the general manager of product supply.
• 0:33
  SPEAKER_09: No other than Wes and April Wilburn.
• 0:37
  SPEAKER_09: Wes and April, I turn it over to you.
• 0:41
  SPEAKER_11: Well, as always, DJ, I appreciate the kind words.
• 0:54
  SPEAKER_11: And um we're actually recording the thing on September 11th.
• 1:08
  SPEAKER_11: So hard to believe 25 years has gone by so quickly.
• 1:13
  SPEAKER_11: I was sitting right here within 10 feet of where I'm sitting right now.
• 1:19
  SPEAKER_10: Spent today here.
• 1:22
  SPEAKER_11: Very uh surreal feeling talking to my father.
• 1:28
  SPEAKER_11: Got him on the phone early.
• 1:30
  SPEAKER_11: Couldn't get him on all day, but I got him right with the right point.
• 1:34
  SPEAKER_11: I got him on the phone.
• 1:37
  SPEAKER_11: Some of that conversation that day.
• 1:49
  SPEAKER_11: So it was a much more cover day for me, but it is what it is, and we are here.
• 1:58
  SPEAKER_11: That's what we have to remain.
• 2:00
  SPEAKER_11: I think one of the reasons I could follow anything.
• 2:06
  SPEAKER_02: But one of the reasons why everybody on that day families became more significant and more relevant because that tragedy happened.
• 2:16
  SPEAKER_02: And it made us really catalog and count all of our blessings and for a lot of people, unfortunately, a lot of their their losses too.
• 2:25
  SPEAKER_02: So you're calling your dad wasn't unusual.
• 2:27
  SPEAKER_02: But one of the things that did make it a little bit unusual was that your dad wasn't from that northern Virginia area, not how many miles from the Pentagon.
• 2:37
  SPEAKER_11: Yeah.
• 2:38
  SPEAKER_11: I didn't bring that up at all.
• 2:39
  SPEAKER_11: That was one of my one of my first concerns.
• 2:43
  SPEAKER_11: Far enough away, I don't know, twelve miles from the Pentagon, I think is what it is.
• 2:48
  SPEAKER_11: Maybe 14, I can't remember exactly.
• 3:02
  SPEAKER_11: And also worked with Henry very closely at that point.
• 3:07
  SPEAKER_11: They were very truck at the firefire.
• 3:32
  SPEAKER_02: So before I knew West, which is incredible and amazing to to think about, but I was from that area too now, a little bit further south in Pennsylvania County.
• 3:45
  SPEAKER_02: Um we lived in the essentially the same area at one point in time.
• 3:50
  SPEAKER_02: Wes was in North Carolina by that time, his dad was from Virginia.
• 3:55
  SPEAKER_02: Uh I worked at Dulles Airport.
• 3:57
  SPEAKER_02: I wasn't working the day that that had happened, which is where one of the airplanes came from.
• 4:04
  SPEAKER_02: I worked at Dulles Airport, I worked in midnight shift, I'd been off for like I'd been had my days off, my food got messed up, so I was up that Tuesday morning.
• 4:14
  SPEAKER_02: It was a Tuesday morning, the sky was blue, it was a gorgeous day outside.
• 4:17
  SPEAKER_02: And I was watching the news because even back then I was a little bit of a news junkie.
• 4:22
  SPEAKER_02: And I I watched the first reporting of it.
• 4:26
  SPEAKER_02: And I had called my cousin to to because he was out and about in that area.
• 4:30
  SPEAKER_02: He worked in con in construction.
• 4:34
  SPEAKER_02: He drove construction trucks.
• 4:36
  SPEAKER_02: And I called him to make sure he was okay.
• 4:39
  SPEAKER_02: And we were talking about it.
• 4:40
  SPEAKER_02: Was it an accident or was it on purpose?
• 4:42
  SPEAKER_02: And I w I remember saying to him, How it could be an accident, but I don't those buildings are big.
• 4:49
  SPEAKER_02: I don't see how it can be an accident.
• 4:51
  SPEAKER_02: And at that time the said complaint had hit when I was watching it.
• 4:55
  SPEAKER_02: So everything was surreal and when when I'm talking about it now, I I'm right back here with when it happened.
• 5:01
  SPEAKER_02: Airport was shut down for we had to go into work that night to the stillest quietest airport.
• 5:13
  SPEAKER_02: It it it sounds like it inside of a bee's nest almost all the time because it's so busy and so active.
• 5:19
  SPEAKER_02: When I drove up Hills Airport, there was no cars, there was no planes, there was no noise.
• 5:24
  SPEAKER_02: It was almost like I was in a vacuum of of of silence.
• 5:28
  SPEAKER_02: And I had to go in and do that work to work that night, but we were off for the next few the next few days because the airport was just shut down.
• 5:36
  SPEAKER_11: Yeah, it was about almost a week, I think, before they flew it, wasn't it?
• 5:40
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 5:44
  SPEAKER_02: It was definitely a moment in time that you you could still go back to like it just like it just happened.
• 5:53
  SPEAKER_09: April West, I was I was at the Atlanta airport heading to Dallas.
• 5:58
  SPEAKER_09: I had already given my luggage up and they informed everybody in the airport that it would be 48 hours become before you could retrieve your luggage and so come back in 48 hours.
• 6:11
  SPEAKER_09: And I drove home and went to church that night.
• 6:16
  SPEAKER_09: Uh, like many, many of our 22,000 listeners, they went to church and prayed and and hoped that our country would be safe.
• 6:26
  SPEAKER_09: When I talked to my brother Paul that afternoon, he said, Well, DJ, let me tell you what I did.
• 6:34
  SPEAKER_09: I'm opposite the towers in New Jersey.
• 6:39
  SPEAKER_09: And my nine employees are out on the sidewalk after the first tower comes down.
• 6:46
  SPEAKER_09: And they're saying, Paul, get out here.
• 6:50
  SPEAKER_09: Another plane is coming.
• 6:52
  SPEAKER_09: And my brother yelled, get your asses back in the building.
• 6:57
  SPEAKER_09: We don't have time.
• 6:58
  SPEAKER_09: And all of a sudden, as he walks out on the sidewalk, the plane entered the second building.
• 7:06
  SPEAKER_09: He started crying, all his employees started crying because they knew this is, you know, we're under attack.
• 7:14
  SPEAKER_09: So it was a sad day.
• 7:16
  SPEAKER_09: And today, when I listened to the television and I listened to the reading of the of the 2,900 some people that were killed, um, it was tough.
• 7:29
  SPEAKER_09: And so uh I I thank you, Wes, for reminding all of us about September 11th.
• 7:36
  SPEAKER_09: And this is uh because it's the 25th and 25th anniversary, and we're celebrating 250 years in our country.
• 7:45
  SPEAKER_09: This was a special day for all of us, and so we should hug our families, give them an extra hug, give our little ones a pat on the head, and tell them we love them.
• 7:56
  SPEAKER_09: So I'm not against telling people I love them.
• 8:00
  SPEAKER_10: Well, we love you, DJ.
• 8:03
  SPEAKER_10: Love our listeners.
• 8:05
  SPEAKER_11: We're gonna take a quick break.
• 8:07
  SPEAKER_11: We got a great, uh happy, great interview with today and a great event to be a part of.
• 8:13
  SPEAKER_11: So, yeah.
• 9:47
  SPEAKER_01: We also offer the National Cooperator certification, an independently sourced virtual testing program covering light duty, heavy duty, electric, and alternative fuel vehicles.
• 10:00
  SPEAKER_09: Welcome back, listeners.
• 10:01
  SPEAKER_09: Of course, you know you're listening to the number one podcast in the towing and recovery industry, Towing News Now podcast.
• 10:11
  SPEAKER_09: We thank you for being here.
• 10:12
  SPEAKER_09: We're coming live from the Towing Equipment Direct.com studios.
• 10:18
  SPEAKER_09: And I want to remind all of you, we are available on Spotify, iTunes, Pandora, Stitcher, iHeartMedia, or wherever you get your podcast.
• 10:29
  SPEAKER_09: Now, this segment is being brought to you through the courtesy of INA Towing Network.
• 10:36
  SPEAKER_09: Remember, simplified solutions with superior service is INA.
• 10:43
  SPEAKER_09: So without further ado, we have a great guest this week.
• 10:47
  SPEAKER_09: So get ready, folks, and I'll pass it over to our number one woman, the number one lady on this podcast, April Wilburn.
• 10:57
  SPEAKER_02: Thank you, DJ.
• 10:58
  SPEAKER_02: I am a party of one.
• 10:59
  SPEAKER_02: I'm the only female here, so I don't have any competition.
• 11:03
  SPEAKER_02: I am happy to be here.
• 11:06
  SPEAKER_02: Today we're pleased to welcome Jim Resnahan, owner and operator of Chariot Automotive and Towing in Bridgeville, Illinois.
• 11:14
  SPEAKER_02: Jim is a respected leader in the Illinois towing community, a board member of the Professional Towing and Recovery Operators of Illinois, and a longtime organizer and board member of Tow Trucks for Time.
• 11:26
  SPEAKER_11: Jim also holds a little distinction with me.
• 11:54
  SPEAKER_03: You're very welcome.
• 11:55
  SPEAKER_03: I I enjoyed attending your classes.
• 11:56
  SPEAKER_03: They were very informative and it began uh a great friendship between us and uh I too.
• 12:02
  SPEAKER_03: I mean, I I every now and then I'm going through videos and photos, you know, on days, and I I come back to that one every now and then just to uh watch everything we did in the class too.
• 12:12
  SPEAKER_03: So um it was a great start to a friendship and and uh and I and I I I like that you were able to use those.
• 12:24
  SPEAKER_10: Thank you.
• 12:24
  SPEAKER_02: And Jim, through um through all of this, through all of this, through um you guys have really come to form a remarkable integrate uh with this tow tow trucks for tots.
• 12:38
  SPEAKER_02: Am I saying it correctly?
• 12:40
  SPEAKER_04: Yes, tow trucks for tots.
• 12:42
  SPEAKER_02: And I believe that Pat uh Weiner is the uh founder.
• 12:46
  SPEAKER_02: I I think I looked at your website earlier and you've got him front and center as uh being the one who founded this whole thing.
• 12:54
  SPEAKER_03: Yes.
• 12:55
  SPEAKER_03: Uh Pat, you know, back in 2007, 2008 came up with the idea that um, you know, unfortunately, the only times you hear about towing companies uh on the news are when something bad happens um with uh cars going missing or whatnot, or you hear about a death of a family, you know, one of our towing family members.
• 13:20
  SPEAKER_03: And what he'd like to do is he he wanted to make the public see the towing industry in a in a better light.
• 13:27
  SPEAKER_03: And he he thought about ideas and ultimately tow trucks for tots came up and um it was a wonderful idea.
• 13:35
  SPEAKER_03: It still is to this day that towers come together.
• 13:38
  SPEAKER_03: You may have done it in smaller groups, um, and not that we're doing it for the recognition, but um, we are showcasing to the public that their thoughts on what a tow company is is completely different than what we actually do every day.
• 13:57
  SPEAKER_03: Um, so this was a little bit, you know, something to start an idea and it just grew into what we have it as today.
• 14:05
  SPEAKER_03: And uh 19 years later, um it's one of the, I have to say, top things in the towing industry that that we get to do every year.
• 14:15
  SPEAKER_11: It sounds like a great event.
• 14:17
  SPEAKER_11: Give a an overview.
• 14:19
  SPEAKER_11: It's a big grade with a rally at the end of it and a toy collection, or just an overview for the those that uh uh unaware.
• 14:30
  SPEAKER_03: Sure.
• 14:30
  SPEAKER_03: So what Tow Trucks for Touch does is is we come together uh every year on the second Sunday of November, and it it all started with again the first year in 2008.
• 14:41
  SPEAKER_03: We just invited anyone in the towing area to come in and participate, bring a toy, um, you know, and we were gonna see how this kind of worked.
• 14:51
  SPEAKER_03: Um, and and what it, you know, over the years it had a few different um parts to it, but ultimately what we do is we still do that.
• 15:00
  SPEAKER_03: We come together uh as a group, we line up, uh, we we collect toys to donate to local organizations, and we have a parade.
• 15:11
  SPEAKER_03: So the the first couple of years, we had a 42-mile-long parade from Joliet, Illinois to Bridgeville, Illinois, uh, that was helped uh by the Illinois State Police.
• 15:22
  SPEAKER_03: They would help lead us on our journey.
• 15:24
  SPEAKER_03: Um, and now in its iteration today, uh we we we have a main starting and ending point, uh, which is the same location around a few surrounding towns uh of the Bridgeville area, Bridgeville, Illinois, and we hold our parade through uh the local towns there, come back to the venue, and uh we we have a couple of things that we try to have there, such as bands that can perform live music.
• 15:54
  SPEAKER_03: Uh, we do have toy collection, and we also have what's called the tow truck Olympics, which is towers uh can compete against their friends, and there's three stages.
• 16:05
  SPEAKER_03: Uh, one being you have to unlock a vehicle.
• 16:08
  SPEAKER_03: We we have just a door with the window slightly opened on a stand.
• 16:12
  SPEAKER_03: You have to reach in there, unlock it.
• 16:14
  SPEAKER_03: Uh, the next stage would be we have a vehicle that's on a wrecker, and you have to secure the wheel down and put some tow lights on it.
• 16:24
  SPEAKER_03: And not the wireless time, we want to make sure you do the wire time.
• 16:28
  SPEAKER_03: And then uh the the last stage is there's a small circle with some debris in it.
• 16:32
  SPEAKER_03: You sweep that up, you put your tools back, and then it's a race to the finish.
• 16:36
  SPEAKER_03: So whoever gets the fastest time uh, you know, gets to have the bragging rights for that year, and and we conclude it with a medal ceremony.
• 16:44
  SPEAKER_03: So since it's the tow truck Olympics, we get a first, second, and third there, and uh they get medals, and we have the uh uh the the uh USA theme plate, so they feel just like they would if they were in the regular Olympics.
• 16:58
  SPEAKER_02: That that sounds like a lot of background work um and a lot of people helping you guys put that all together to do that every year too.
• 17:05
  SPEAKER_02: So you you almost start planning for next year before the before this year is over with.
• 17:14
  SPEAKER_03: Absolutely.
• 17:15
  SPEAKER_03: Uh we we have a great board of directors uh that help do this every year.
• 17:20
  SPEAKER_03: Uh they're also either uh owners of other towing companies or employees of other towing companies, or or you know, anyone in general that'd like to come and help.
• 17:30
  SPEAKER_03: But uh they they help put this together.
• 17:33
  SPEAKER_03: Um and I'll be honest, as soon as the event's over, we kind of sit down, breathe a little bit of sigh of relief, and immediately we go into brainstorming what to do for the next year.
• 17:48
  SPEAKER_11: How many members are on the board, if you don't mind me asking?
• 17:52
  SPEAKER_04: Uh we currently have uh if I if I had to do a quick um eight members currently on our board.
• 17:59
  SPEAKER_03: Uh we're we're trying to fill in one last position uh currently this year, but uh generally, you know, we have nine members on the board, and then we we also have um you know the president of our corporation, which is Pat Weiner uh and Kathy Weiner on there as well with us.
• 18:15
  SPEAKER_03: So altogether, you know, a group of 11, uh, but it could change all throughout the year.
• 18:20
  SPEAKER_03: I mean, tours from all through the area will come up to us and say, hey, this is really cool.
• 18:26
  SPEAKER_03: We'd like to see this, or uh, you know, we we'd really like to do that.
• 18:30
  SPEAKER_03: So um anyone can come in with with information and and you know, we'll go follow it to where we can.
• 18:38
  SPEAKER_02: So that first year you guys did this parade, it looks like over 200 trucks, decorated trucks showed up.
• 18:45
  SPEAKER_02: I don't have the exact number in front of me, but that that had to be a very emotional and touching moment to to happen in in your life.
• 18:55
  SPEAKER_02: I mean I mean at that moment, you could you have imagined it being that big?
• 19:00
  SPEAKER_03: No, the the first year again, we you know, I don't think anybody had an idea of what was to happen that first year.
• 19:06
  SPEAKER_03: It was it was just a thought, and um I'll give you a quick story about it.
• 19:11
  SPEAKER_03: Is that the first year we had the event was a very cold day and it was lightly missing and uh in the morning and it turned into um by the afternoon the the rain had kind of stopped.
• 19:24
  SPEAKER_03: But um I remember personally when when I was driving there, we had our tow truck all decorated.
• 19:28
  SPEAKER_03: We we had created a big, huge wooden toy box on the back and we wrapped it with wrapping paper.
• 19:34
  SPEAKER_03: And never doing this before, we we didn't know, but that that light rain kind of tore our wrapping paper all to shreds by the time we got to the destination.
• 19:43
  SPEAKER_03: Um but you know no one knew what this could turn into.
• 19:47
  SPEAKER_03: And and we had 239 trucks for our first year, and um it was an amazing sight to see.
• 19:55
  SPEAKER_03: You you just kept seeing more trucks come in and you know with decorations and toys, and it was just like wow, this this is a sight to see.
• 20:05
  SPEAKER_03: It's it's never been done in this kind of volume before.
• 20:10
  SPEAKER_02: So it looks like in 2011, um you guys earned the Guinness World Book of Records with 324 tow tribes.
• 20:19
  SPEAKER_04: Correct.
• 20:20
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, the we we wanted to try to get that as uh something that the towing community could uh you know, uh a badge of honor.
• 20:28
  SPEAKER_03: Um again, we we wanted to try to get credited and and show people again that uh we like doing this, but it it was kind of a we we'd like to do it, but that wasn't the main goal of why we did the parade.
• 20:42
  SPEAKER_03: But it but it was a little cherry on top of having the parade was being able to say, hey, we we gotta get a spook world records.
• 20:49
  SPEAKER_02: And you know what, that little bit of competition doesn't hurt anything because if you're trying to achieve that and you did, then um somebody else will try to beat it, which is not a bad thing because that means that they're generating in another area, maybe, gifts and collectibles for their children, too.
• 21:05
  SPEAKER_11: And we remember Pat told the story about someone trying to beat.
• 21:09
  SPEAKER_02: They did.
• 21:10
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, so so we we did have competition in the and exactly how you described it.
• 21:14
  SPEAKER_03: It's it's not a bad thing.
• 21:15
  SPEAKER_03: What what it does is it makes people pay attention and go, hey, what are they doing?
• 21:19
  SPEAKER_03: That's a great idea.
• 21:20
  SPEAKER_03: I'd like to do that.
• 21:21
  SPEAKER_03: So um, you know, any furthering of this idea is is a wonderful thing.
• 21:26
  SPEAKER_03: But we we had amazing enough, the the French Towing Association, um they came together and said, hey, you know, look what these people in the Americas did.
• 21:38
  SPEAKER_03: Uh I I bet you we can do that too.
• 21:40
  SPEAKER_03: And they had closed down a private, or I don't want to say private, but they had closed down a section of a highway and they had put on their own event, and they had 491 tow trucks.
• 21:52
  SPEAKER_03: Uh so they are they are currently the uh the leaders, but um, I I keep saying to our board and and to our uh support.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_03: Supporters and our friends, that uh I'm I'm not gonna leave that be.
• 22:03
  SPEAKER_03: I'm I'm still going for 500 or more if we can.
• 22:07
  SPEAKER_03: Um it's gonna take some time to perfectly plan it out.
• 22:11
  SPEAKER_03: But you know, we're we're on year 19 now, and I'm hoping at year 25 we we go for that attempt.
• 22:17
  SPEAKER_11: Well, talking about completely planning something out, uh we've gone past the plan time where I need to take a quick break.
• 22:23
  SPEAKER_11: So hang around, we'll be right back at this break.
• 24:35
  SPEAKER_05: 415 741 7552 or visit callboxtechnology.com.
• 24:45
  SPEAKER_11: All right, thanks for sticking with us.
• 24:48
  SPEAKER_11: We've got a great interview about to class.
• 24:51
  SPEAKER_11: Jim, the only advice I can give you is tell them folks over there to eat some freedom fries.
• 24:59
  SPEAKER_11: And um, that's what I'm gonna do.
• 25:01
  SPEAKER_11: And we need to get our American buttons together and get get some more trucks out there.
• 25:06
  SPEAKER_11: And I know the prices needle up a little price of needles up just a little bit.
• 25:11
  SPEAKER_11: I don't tell us that big card, no.
• 25:13
  SPEAKER_11: Everybody within what five-day areas pretty easy to get to.
• 25:16
  SPEAKER_11: You guys you're right outside the Chicago land there, right?
• 25:21
  SPEAKER_11: The the the what the western suburbs?
• 25:26
  SPEAKER_03: Southern suburbs.
• 25:27
  SPEAKER_03: We're we're kind of you know, to to put it on a we're we're about 20 miles just outside the southern or the the western part of Chicago, uh southwest side, so uh right near Midway Airport.
• 25:38
  SPEAKER_11: One of my favorite parts of the of the city.
• 25:42
  SPEAKER_11: So anyway, that's my advice to you.
• 25:46
  SPEAKER_09: We'd love to have everybody.
• 25:48
  SPEAKER_11: All right.
• 25:49
  SPEAKER_11: So you guys you got something you wanted to add?
• 25:51
  SPEAKER_09: Yeah, what I wanted to ask, Jim, you know, we have people like John Weaver, who's in the Hall of Fame, and he has a tow truck called Christmas Pete, and it's been in Tow Professional Magazine, it's been in, of course, all of them.
• 26:10
  SPEAKER_09: It's been in every one of the towing magazines as a a story.
• 26:15
  SPEAKER_09: But he he and his team take about two or three months before Christmas and start decorating this 50 ton tow truck every inch they have a light and they use it by at nighttime, they give out uh toys for needy children in the area.
• 26:36
  SPEAKER_09: Uh it would be nice to encourage, you know, those guys to come bring that truck up there for the second Sunday in November and let them bring their truck up, and maybe some of the other people could bring it in and enter into the contest.
• 26:56
  SPEAKER_03: That would be amazing.
• 26:57
  SPEAKER_03: I I would love to see that, and I'll have to do a little research to see that as well.
• 27:01
  SPEAKER_03: But yes, I mean we we have trucks come from all over the area.
• 27:05
  SPEAKER_03: Uh, we've had uh trucks, you know, obviously, as as someone had said earlier, you know, since it's so close in proximity, you know, we often get Wisconsin, Indiana, and and Michigan to always participate.
• 27:18
  SPEAKER_03: Um, but we've also had people come from you know Ohio, Missouri, uh Tennessee, Kentucky, Kentucky.
• 27:29
  SPEAKER_03: We we we may have had an Iowa.
• 27:32
  SPEAKER_03: Um the the one uh probably the farthest company we have to date is out of New Jersey.
• 27:39
  SPEAKER_03: Uh and they came two years in a row uh that they caught on to what we were doing, and the employees there really loved it, and they had come out.
• 27:49
  SPEAKER_03: And it wasn't a really large show company either.
• 27:52
  SPEAKER_03: Uh it was a three or four truck operation, and uh still to this day I'm I'm good friends with uh the the woman that came out and she brought her uh a friend of hers at the time, and I and I still talk to her, you know, a couple times a year if I can through here and there.
• 28:07
  SPEAKER_03: Uh but it it just it's great that we're getting out there.
• 28:11
  SPEAKER_03: And if I had to say, um one main goal that I've always had is if if someone could take what we do and start it in their own state, and almost like chapters uh of course for talks in different states, that would be amazing.
• 28:26
  SPEAKER_03: And we could if if it's possible they could all run on the same day, that would be amazing too.
• 28:31
  SPEAKER_09: Uh Jim, can I can I ask this?
• 28:33
  SPEAKER_09: One and now I'll get off Wes.
• 28:36
  SPEAKER_09: What I wanted to ask, if we want to send you some gifts, are they unwrapped gifts or do we put on it a four-year-old boy or a a six-year-old girl?
• 28:49
  SPEAKER_03: Well, we we prefer unwrapped gifts um for a couple reasons.
• 28:53
  SPEAKER_03: One, uh they they do need to be separated into the age groups and uh, you know, boy, boy-girl gifts.
• 29:02
  SPEAKER_03: Um, so it's it's easier to see it while it's unwrapped, and and we don't want to have to waste all that wrapping paper and and recycle it.
• 29:10
  SPEAKER_03: So we do ask that you send it unwrapped.
• 29:13
  SPEAKER_03: Um, and then you know, if if they want to know where to send it to, they can always go to our website.
• 29:17
  SPEAKER_03: It has our address on there.
• 29:19
  SPEAKER_03: Our our address or excuse me, our website is www.towtrucksfortots.com.
• 29:26
  SPEAKER_03: And we also do have a Facebook group of the same name and uh you know all of our information's there.
• 29:32
  SPEAKER_03: And it and you're welcome to send uh you know uh anything you'd like.
• 29:36
  SPEAKER_03: They could do a monetary donation which helps us buy toys.
• 29:40
  SPEAKER_11: That's Jim, that's what I wanted to talk about.
• 29:42
  SPEAKER_11: There give me that website real slow one more time for the listeners.
• 29:46
  SPEAKER_11: What I was gonna say sending gifts is nice, but a little golden capital to help keep this operation going is a good thing too.
• 29:54
  SPEAKER_11: So what's that website again?
• 29:56
  SPEAKER_04: It's www.to trucks4.com.
• 30:02
  SPEAKER_04: So the four is F O R, not the number.
• 30:05
  SPEAKER_04: So tow trucks4Tops.com.
• 30:10
  SPEAKER_11: And now that's for folks that want to make a donation ahead of time.
• 30:15
  SPEAKER_11: What about the folks that want to participate?
• 30:17
  SPEAKER_11: Do they need to pre-register?
• 30:18
  SPEAKER_11: Let's talk about that a little bit.
• 30:21
  SPEAKER_03: No, no pre-register, pre-registration needed.
• 30:24
  SPEAKER_03: Uh unfortunately what we found with registration was that as we tried doing it a couple of years, uh, unfortunately we still have businesses to run and and we may have to send one or two trucks out uh, you know, to an event that's happening because our businesses are 24 hours.
• 30:39
  SPEAKER_03: Um, you know, some people don't close.
• 30:41
  SPEAKER_03: Uh, you know, so uh we we don't ask for pre-registration.
• 30:45
  SPEAKER_03: We just ask that you come, and if you do, you can bring a toy or two with uh and participate with us.
• 30:51
  SPEAKER_11: And where are they going exactly?
• 30:53
  SPEAKER_11: At what time do they need to be there?
• 30:56
  SPEAKER_03: Well, we so we currently have uh our venue of Seat Geek Stadium in Bridgeville, Illinois.
• 31:03
  SPEAKER_03: Um so uh the information on the exact address is on our website.
• 31:07
  SPEAKER_03: Um, but they they come to Bridgeville, Illinois.
• 31:10
  SPEAKER_03: The the lineup begins at 6 a.m.
• 31:12
  SPEAKER_03: and the parade itself starts at 9.
• 31:16
  SPEAKER_03: And usually uh you know, all said and done is right around noon.
• 31:20
  SPEAKER_03: So after the parade's over, which usually takes about a half hour to an hour uh once you get everybody in and out.
• 31:26
  SPEAKER_03: Um again, we we do raffles, uh we have door prizes, uh we often do like a 50-50, uh, we have the tow truck Olympics, and and every year we just try to think what what could we as towers enjoy doing?
• 31:39
  SPEAKER_03: And and you know, not that we're trying to make it a toe show, but what could we do to have fun for a few hours and and build some relationships up with people that you may not see all the time and uh you know get to talk to somebody uh that you may not have known before.
• 31:58
  SPEAKER_10: Well, it's a great event and it's a great cause.
• 32:02
  SPEAKER_11: Glad to see you have so much enthusiasm for it.
• 32:05
  SPEAKER_04: Thank you.
• 32:06
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, uh it's ever since day one.
• 32:09
  SPEAKER_03: Uh this is uh something I think about all year round.
• 32:14
  SPEAKER_03: Um it kind of engulfs my life and I enjoy it.
• 32:17
  SPEAKER_03: It's just such a wonderful event.
• 32:20
  SPEAKER_03: And to know uh your we're towers.
• 32:24
  SPEAKER_03: So what do we do?
• 32:24
  SPEAKER_03: We help those that are in need in their time of need.
• 32:28
  SPEAKER_03: So uh it's it's it's great.
• 32:31
  SPEAKER_03: I I enjoy doing it every year.
• 32:33
  SPEAKER_03: I I like the friendships that I've made uh over the years of either um you know the people I get to meet or the people that we do the planning with and such.
• 32:41
  SPEAKER_04: So uh I I don't see myself uh ever getting out of this organization anytime soon.
• 32:50
  SPEAKER_11: That's awesome.
• 32:52
  SPEAKER_11: How about a shout out to the New Jersey folks?
• 32:56
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, so they're their their name's uh was for Bob's Radiator Service.
• 33:00
  SPEAKER_03: Uh they're in there in ECO, New Jersey.
• 33:03
  SPEAKER_03: So I I know the people that were here are no longer with the company, but I mean for for two years they spent their time and fuel and money to come here uh a day early, get to see.
• 33:19
  SPEAKER_03: We we we took them to downtown, we explored a little bit, uh, introduced them to Chicago pizza and uh we did the parade.
• 33:27
  SPEAKER_03: We we did the parade and then they went home the next day.
• 33:29
  SPEAKER_03: But I mean that was a two-day journey for them as well.
• 33:32
  SPEAKER_03: So my hat's off to them, and and I thank them for coming each year.
• 33:36
  SPEAKER_03: And uh, you know, maybe one year or when we try to do this world record, uh they can join us again.
• 33:43
  SPEAKER_10: Well that's uh awesome.
• 33:47
  SPEAKER_02: So at the end of the day, the parade is over, the trucks are going home, you've collected thousands of toys because I think that that happens every year.
• 33:55
  SPEAKER_02: There are there are a couple thousand toys that you guys collect.
• 34:00
  SPEAKER_02: What how are these how are these trucked to the different places or a place?
• 34:07
  SPEAKER_04: The the toys themselves?
• 34:09
  SPEAKER_02: Yes, sir.
• 34:10
  SPEAKER_04: Okay.
• 34:10
  SPEAKER_03: Uh so back in the beginning years of the parade, uh, usually we would have different organizations, um, you know, large and small, that we kind of knew uh would help us distribute the toys to where they needed to go or had a had a need for them, and we were able to do it that way.
• 34:31
  SPEAKER_03: And then um kind of as we were getting our stride going after about 10 years or so, uh, we got introduced to a non-for-profit group here that does kind of exactly what we do.
• 34:42
  SPEAKER_03: They collect toys on a on a large scale, and um they distribute their toys uh to the organizations as well.
• 34:51
  SPEAKER_03: So we found that doing a partnership with them was beneficial to both of us.
• 34:56
  SPEAKER_03: You know, we we were able to help them get their needs met, and they were to help, you know, with the distributing uh to each place.
• 35:05
  SPEAKER_03: Sometimes you know, we would have to bring the toys ourselves to all the different places.
• 35:09
  SPEAKER_03: This organization does that for us.
• 35:11
  SPEAKER_03: Uh, but they're within the same ideas of where we'd like our toys to go to.
• 35:18
  SPEAKER_03: So it was it was a perfect fit to uh work together with them.
• 35:24
  SPEAKER_02: I feel like that at least mainstreaming that part of it made made your life a little bit easier.
• 35:30
  SPEAKER_11: One more point uh I'd like to bring up my dear wife does something different with the toys and that that we participate in around here.
• 35:41
  SPEAKER_11: We she thinks in terms of a 15-year-old young lady, 16-year-old young lady, 14-year-old young lady doesn't really want to the same thing that the eight-year-old wants, not even close.
• 35:56
  SPEAKER_11: So one of the things she's done is uh see a deal on hair hair dryer, makeup makeup some things that young lady would be so the older young youngster would be interested in that.
• 36:14
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, it's a little bit easier to buy toys for little ones.
• 36:18
  SPEAKER_02: It's more fun to buy toys for little ones.
• 36:21
  SPEAKER_02: I think the price point is usually better for the little ones.
• 36:24
  SPEAKER_02: And the teenagers, the young men and the young ladies, kind of the the collection for that is a little bit smaller or much smaller depending on where you're at.
• 36:34
  SPEAKER_02: So uh we did we normally go through um what is that?
• 36:42
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, the toys for ties, and that's that's the young lady that works there explained that to me, that they have a harder time collecting for the teens for the teenagers.
• 36:49
  SPEAKER_02: So I get stuff with little ones because I do that is a fun thing to buy for, but I I try to gear towards teenagers.
• 36:57
  SPEAKER_03: Yes, yes, yeah, we we found that out too over the years, you know, um the the ages of like zero uh to maybe five years old or a little bit, you know, maybe zero to three, um, they're hard to shop for because most of their items are diapers and food.
• 37:15
  SPEAKER_03: Um, you know, they do have some toys, but um, you know, it's very minimal what you give a young uh baby.
• 37:22
  SPEAKER_03: And then the the age group of probably your 12, 13-year-olds to 18 were always the hardest to shop for too, because you know, with the introduction introduction of electronics to the world, um not many people play.
• 37:36
  SPEAKER_03: They just kind of uh they you know, everything's electronics.
• 37:39
  SPEAKER_03: So they they buy their clothes online, they need money for that, um, their video games and and such and and all that craze.
• 37:48
  SPEAKER_03: Uh so it as you said, it it's it's harder.
• 37:52
  SPEAKER_03: Um, so we we try to figure out within our toys, and when we ask our supporters, we say, hey, you know, remember the other groups too.
• 37:59
  SPEAKER_03: It it's great, like you said, to go down the aisle of any of the stores and you got a really great selection for that middle age, but the the older kids and the much younger kids are are always the harder to shop for.
• 38:13
  SPEAKER_02: And I think it might be easier to think in terms of what they need instead of what they want.
• 38:17
  SPEAKER_02: I think that makes it easier to buy, to buy.
• 38:20
  SPEAKER_02: I think if you change the way you think about it a little bit, like maybe would you take diapers if somebody donated diapers, would that be something that you would accept?
• 38:28
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, it's it's possible, yes.
• 38:29
  SPEAKER_03: I mean, we we haven't came across that bridge yet.
• 38:33
  SPEAKER_03: Um but it's always something we can bring up in our our meetings and see if that's something as well, because I mean diapers are a huge amount of cost to new parents nowadays.
• 38:43
  SPEAKER_10: Yeah.
• 38:43
  SPEAKER_03: So uh, you know, to get those donated would be great as well.
• 38:46
  SPEAKER_03: Uh, you know, we've we've always concentrated on, you know, the the toy aspect of it.
• 38:50
  SPEAKER_03: Yes.
• 38:51
  SPEAKER_03: Uh maybe in you know, in our evolution of getting you know older and growing as an organization, we can introduce that as well.
• 38:59
  SPEAKER_02: Well, nobody wants to open up a Christmas package and get a pair of socks or a box of diapers.
• 39:03
  SPEAKER_02: So the fun toys are, you know, better, but I was just about to say, I I didn't bring it up something different for the older kids.
• 39:12
  SPEAKER_11: I don't want to have money in a game.
• 39:15
  SPEAKER_10: I was thinking about before you sat today.
• 39:23
  SPEAKER_02: We um look forward to seeing uh pictures, videos, things like that on uh Facebook, YouTube, or whatever how you post them.
• 39:32
  SPEAKER_11: And we'd like to check on the iPad right before the event to tell us what's going on.
• 39:37
  SPEAKER_11: Can we get your schedule back in?
• 39:40
  SPEAKER_03: I would love it.
• 39:40
  SPEAKER_03: I I I would love it.
• 39:42
  SPEAKER_03: I I invite you guys to join us if you're able to one year.
• 39:45
  SPEAKER_03: Uh you know, we'll make uh a big uh fun day uh made out of it, but uh we'd love to see ya.
• 39:53
  SPEAKER_11: Well well this year is out of the question, but we'll consider next year.
• 39:57
  SPEAKER_02: We're gonna start packing now.
• 39:59
  SPEAKER_11: All right.
• 40:00
  SPEAKER_11: But anybody that's a that's a whole lot closer to North Carolina, but even my friends in North Carolina.
• 40:05
  SPEAKER_11: This is a great event.
• 40:07
  SPEAKER_11: You heard them go there early.
• 40:09
  SPEAKER_11: You'll get a little extra experience of that.
• 40:16
  SPEAKER_11: That was probably quite difficult.
• 40:24
  SPEAKER_11: The hot beef sandwich from uh whatever it is.
• 40:30
  SPEAKER_04: There you go.
• 40:31
  SPEAKER_04: I got that one.
• 40:37
  SPEAKER_03: And I and I invite anybody, you know, it it we'd love to see you here, uh, but uh, you know, I invite everybody, start this in your neck of the woods, and and you know, if you need some you know help on how to do it, please reach out to us.
• 40:50
  SPEAKER_03: Um, I'd be happy to sit down for a couple minutes.
• 40:52
  SPEAKER_03: It's really not hard.
• 40:53
  SPEAKER_03: It's just getting a bunch of towers together in your area and uh having a parade, find somewhere to meet at and either you have the event there or you you kind of go out of town, you come back into town with it.
• 41:06
  SPEAKER_03: But you know, if you can't start something there and and make it make it fun, make it yours.
• 41:11
  SPEAKER_03: And uh, you know, if if you do it and I can make it, if if you know you do it on a different day, I'd be happy to come and bring my truck if it's in the meeting if the cards are right.
• 41:20
  SPEAKER_03: So um, but I invite everybody to do this in your own community and and let's make this thing happen everywhere if we can.
• 41:27
  SPEAKER_02: All right, give us your website one more time.
• 41:31
  SPEAKER_04: Sure uh www.towtrucks4s.com, which is the F-O-R, not the number.
• 41:42
  SPEAKER_02: All right, this has been a great podcast.
• 41:43
  SPEAKER_02: What's we're gonna uh flip it back to you.
• 41:46
  SPEAKER_11: Well, thank you, Jim.
• 41:47
  SPEAKER_11: I appreciate you taking time for what you do to make the whole event happen, and also taking the time to help inform us what's going on.
• 41:56
  SPEAKER_11: Look forward to having you back.
• 41:59
  SPEAKER_03: I thank you for the invite today, and uh I I appreciate you guys wanting us to be on the podcast.
• 42:04
  SPEAKER_03: It's it's a very uh it's a great honor to be here today.
• 42:08
  SPEAKER_11: God bless you, I appreciate that.
• 42:11
  SPEAKER_11: To our listeners as well.
• 42:13
  SPEAKER_11: God bless you folks, keep the wheels rolling, stay safe out there.
• 42:18
  SPEAKER_11: Thank you, and have a good week, and we'll talk to you next week.