Special Rigs for Special Kids 2022

Special Rigs for Special Kids timetable
●11am — Depart Edgar Centre
●11.20am — Arrive at Kaikorai Valley Rd
●11.45am — Arrive at Mosgiel
●12.05pm — Arrive at Fairfield
●12.30pm — Arrive at at Edgar Centre for food and entertainment
—guide times only.

Riding high with the roar of the engine and a honk of the horn is the heart of Special Rigs for Special Kids, which returns on Sunday August 28.

The big truck convoy that offers children with special needs a front seat view has been a unique experience since 1992.

Organiser Greg Inch said the community spectacle had an unbroken history of annual events until the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic put a halt to the convoy for two years.
Now that the event could finally take place he was looking forward to a magical day.

After almost three years, organising this years’ event was a little more complex.

Some companies had changed, some people had moved on, some had changed position, and it took about eight months to pull together the various strands that made the event so extraordinary.

But while organising cement mixers, logging trucks, dump trucks, flatbed trucks, big rigs and more was a logistical challenge, a simple desire to give children a special day was at the heart of the community event.

‘‘The whole day is round getting the kids to meet a driver and go for a ride in their truck, simple as that.’’

The event was a moment for truck drivers to give back.

‘‘A lot of drivers go past schools or kids and they all pull on their horns and give them a wee toot.’’

It was a chance for drivers in the transport industry to put their foot forward and say ‘hey, we are all parents, we are here and we’d love to share our world’, Mr Inch said.

The other day a parent came up to Mr Inch and shook his hand.

‘‘He says ‘thank you very much for what you do’.

‘‘And I said ‘no troubles, it’s not a problem’.’’

The father explained he had a special needs child in their family, and they did not go out much to events such as rugby games and so on.

But they always looked forward to Special Rigs for Special Kids because it was a large gathering of like-minded families who had the same issues and it gave them a chance to be part of a community event.

The route travels from South Dunedin, over Corstorphine to Kaikorai Valley, up Taieri Rd and over Three Mile Hill to Mosgiel, before heading back to Dunedin via Fairfield and Green Island.

After the convoy returned to the Edgar Centre there would be a chance for a barbecue and some entertainment for the special needs children and their families.

Mr Inch thanked all the volunteers, truck drivers and trucking companies that came together to make this special event happen.

They never knew beforehand how many drivers would come along to the event.

‘‘We really rely on the truck drivers to turn up on the day — but they have never let us down yet.’’

Any drivers who wanted to participate just needed to turn up at the Edgar Centre on Sunday August 28 from 8.30am, Mr Inch Said.

There was no requirement to pre-register, families just needed to be at the Edgar Centre from about 8.30am and their special needs child would be matched with a driver.

Children under seven were required to bring their own car seat or booster seat with them, and there was a maximum speed of 40kmh during the event.