‘Even a soggy show must go on’ seemed to be the unspoken mantra at the 6th annual Pride in the Heartland Truck Show this past weekend in Clarion. And although it rained on and off again all through the set-up and much of the event, even kicking up some good winds at times, nothing was about to dampen the celebratory mood of the crowd. And the organizers and exhibitors were undeterred as well.
Party band The Standing Hamptons rocked the stage – fittingly a repurposed flatbed semi trailer – all night long, playing great classic rock tunes and a little bit of country and newer songs too. Their renditions ranged from faithful to fresh, but they were all fun and easy on the ears. And even though it was raining and muggy, they still got the event-goers out dancing in the street.
Melinda Anderson of the Ennis Corporation explained the history and motivation for the show. “The event started 6 years ago for our 50th anniversary. We just thought it would be fun to surprise my Dad and have a truck show. “We picked the fire department just to raise a little money and have some fun.” Ennis Corp. had started half a century earlier, when Anderson’s father Patrick Ennis started hauling hogs for the George A. Hormel company in 1967. Today, Ennis still hauls for Hormel, and many other clients with a whole fleet of trucks, under the management of the second generation of the Ennis family, led by Anderson and her brother, Michael Ennis
“We never planned for it to be an annual event” Anderson explained, however, “the community keeps saying ‘you’re doing the tuck show again, right?’ and we’re like ‘OK!’ And it’s evolved into an awesome fundraiser for our fire department. All the proceeds benefit the Clarion Fire Department.”
As for the motivation, for both herself and the committee she thanked for working hard to pull it off? “Everything you buy comes on a truck, so it’s just fun to showcase the trucking industry,” Anderson explained. In fact, Anderson noted, “1 in 13 people in the state of Iowa works in transportation in one form or another, so trucking is vital to the state of Iowa. And the nation. So that’s why we do what we do.”
Plus, “these guys put a lot of time into their trucks. And it’s a chance to get up close and personal, and it’s a chance for the industry to give back. So that’s why we do it.”
