The trucking industry will kick off the 2007 National Truck Driving Championships with two charity drives aimed at helping both those in the local Minneapolis community and nationwide.
The trucking industry will join with the American Red Cross to collect blood during the championship Thursday, Aug. 23, and Friday, Aug. 24. A booth, staffed by the America’s Road Team Captains, will be set up outside the competition floor to encourage both participants and spectators to donate blood.
A donation drive to benefit America’s Second Harvest, a nationwide network of food banks, also will be conducted during the competition. The fund-raising initiative will unite the American Trucking Associations, the Minnesota Trucking Association, companies of competing drivers, driver participants and competition spectators in raising funds to feed the hungry in Minnesota. In addition, the remaining nonperishable food from the National Truck Driving Championships will be donated to area food banks.
The National Truck Driving Championships includes the individual winners in eight competing categories from each of the 50 states. Nearly 400 top professional truck drivers will travel to Minneapolis Aug. 21-25 to compete in their respective classes. On Saturday, Aug. 25, one contestant will drive away as the National Grand Champion Truck Driver. The NTDC annually attracts more than 2,000 cheering friends, family, colleagues and interested spectators. For more information, visit the 2007 National Truck Driving Championships website, www.truckline.com/2k7ntdc.
For more information on America’s Second Harvest, go to www.2harvest.org. For more information on America’s Red Cross, go to www.redcross.org.
