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SD Convoy

Each year, The Motor Market Magazine features the SD Truck Convoys held in both Sioux Falls and Rapid City. The event helps to raise money for Special Olympics South Dakota (SOSD) each year, breaking records as it grows larger and larger. We showcase pictures of amazing trucks, their drivers and how they enjoy doing something that gives back to the community. This year, we are showing you what events like these help to achieve by featuring one of the athletes that benefits from these awe inspiring events.

 

Denelle Wilson is no stranger to the amazing things Special Olympics South Dakota allows her to achieve. At 34 years old, Denelle Wilson is celebrating 21 years of competing with other athletes in competitions that bring home more than medals. Wilson competes in many events, and has even helped coach a few events. She enjoys showing her strength and speed by competing in power lifting, track and field, and unified bowling. Wilson helps to coach the softball and basketball teams as well, sharing her kindness and enthusiasm with others.

 

Training for these events is no part-time job. Wilson maintains a tight schedule of workouts that continue year-round. “I work out on my own in the evenings and weekends, but am eagerly awaiting the opening of the new onsite training facility at SOSD.” The new facility will be named the Unify Center, and will be a place for athletes to come and prepare for SOSD sanctioned events. Competing in Special Olympics is about more than medals for Wilson. “It brought out my social skills, and helped me break out of my ‘quiet’ shell. I have made a ton of friends here,” she says.

 

Having been involved in the games for over 20 years, Wilson has competed for some very prestigious achievements. She competed in the 1999 World Games in North Carolina, the 2000 Shopko Golf Classic in Green Bay, Wisconsin, the 2006 USA Games as a Unified Softball athlete coach and the 2010 USA Games as a Unified Basketball athlete coach.

 

In 2010, Wilson had the opportunity of a lifetime to travel abroad to Morocco for an Athlete Leadership Program. The Athlete Leadership Program consists of helping make decisions on programs, games and food. They go to local cities and meet with the athletes to listen and help implement what they want to see happen. According to the Special Olympics website, “The Athlete Input Council consists of 11 Special Olympic athletes who lead and represent their peers for many different Special Olympics South Dakota issues.” Along with being a member of the Athlete Leadership Program, Wilson was also a former board member, as well as a Global Messenger. Global Messengers are delegates who go out to the public to give speeches and create awareness, along with acquiring donations and funding.

 

For athletes competing in Special Olympics, the feeling is almost indescribable. “It’s a feeling of joy to see everyone with smiles on their faces, even the volunteers, when the athletes are up on the podium getting their awards,” says Wilson. The next competition for Wilson will be the bowling event in November, which is held in Sioux Falls. Wilson hopes to score a perfect game of 300.

 

Not a stranger to the SD Truck Convoy in Sioux Falls, Wilson is also looking forward to this year’s event. “I have participated in the event before by either riding in a truck, or on the bus for the convoy parade. My favorite part of the convoy is seeing all the people waving as we pass by in the parade.” For those who have never been to a SD Truck Convoy, or any other SOSD sponsored event, Wilson urges you to stop over. “Come out to an event and get the feel of it. You get to meet the great athletes, and there is never a smile missing from our faces.”

 

The experiences SOSD has provided Wilson have been endless, along with providing a meeting platform for her and her longtime boyfriend, Tim Schellhouse. The two have been together for 16 years now, and continue to help spread the goodwill SOSD provides its athletes and their families.

 

Looking to help support SOSD, but aren’t sure how? Wilson has some ideas. “Come to an event to show support and be a cheerleader. You can also go to www.sosd.org for more information on how to get involved, or call the state office 1-800-585-2114.” The website is an invaluable source for all things related to volunteering, including how to get involved and what volunteers are needed for. The website explains, “Special Olympics would not exist today – and could not have been created – without the time, energy, dedication, and commitment of the more than 500,000 Special Olympics volunteers. There are many ways you can become involved and inspire greatness! Volunteers can serve as a certified Special Olympics coach, volunteer at a Special Olympics event, organize, coach or play on Unified Sports teams, participate in one of our many fundraising events throughout the year, make financial or in-kind donations as individuals or through a business, conduct fundraising campaigns in schools or through a civic group, church or other organization, name Special Olympics as the beneficiary of a life insurance policy, will, or employee payroll deduction, make donations of goods, services, or vital office supplies to local Special Olympics programs, or even encourage members of your civic groups to volunteer their professional services to Special Olympics programs or events.”

 

 

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One of the largest events SOSD has for fundraising is the SD Truck Convoy. With two convoys each year held in Rapid City and Sioux Falls, the convoys bring amazing drivers and spectators together with athletes and the public to bring awareness and much needed funding for the organization. Last year’s event brought 166 trucks to Sioux Falls and 30 to Rapid City. Both convoys raised over $74,000 in donations to SOSD, and the South Dakota Convoy was the third largest convoy in the world! According to this year’s event brochure, “These convoys are held annually, and drivers from across the state and region gather together to drive their big rigs on a designated route in an effort to raise money and public awareness for Special Olympics. After the convoy, drivers and athletes are joined by family members, friends and law enforcement personnel for lunch. Both events will have a truck show, an auction and a presentation of awards.”

 

This year’s events will be held on September 16 and 17 at the Central States Fairgrounds in Rapid City, and September 23 and 24 at the W.H. Lyon Fairgrounds in Sioux Falls.

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