As we started fall and left summer behind, truck show season was winding down, but there were some good shows this year. One such show was the annual DMF-OH Cancer Benefit, which was a great way to not only raise money for a good cause, but also a fun way to hang out with some great people and see some awesome trucks. This year\u2019s show was the 4th annual event, held on September 21, 2024, at Portage County Fairgrounds in Randolph, Ohio, and I am looking forward to many more years of fun.<\/p>ngg_shortcode_0_placeholder
Northeast Ohio experienced a rather dry late summer this year, like so many other parts of the country. The weather forecast for that week called for no rain, but on the day of the show, a 20% chance of showers popped up on the radar. Thankfully, the rain never came, which made it a great day to attend this event, even though the temperature got up to a very warm 82 degrees that day.<\/p>
The DMF Foundation is a 501c3 organization that honors the memory of Denise Marie Flaherty and supports individuals affected by cancer, providing emotional and financial support to local families fighting cancer. Beneficiaries receive financial assistance to help with medical bills, basic needs, bucket list trips, educational trusts, and more. This year\u2019s event netted $37,000 for the cause and had 147 registered trucks. Although trucks were down a bit this year and the money raised was a bit less, too, people still had a good time, and it was an awesome event to attend.<\/p>
In my opinion, I believe the down economy was much to blame for the downward turn in participation. I have seen attendance down at a lot of the truck shows I went to this year. Hopefully, as we say here in Northeastern Ohio, \u201cJust wait until next season!\u201d Another reason attendance was down a little was also because the Kuhnle Brothers Fall Brawl, an uphill truck drag racing event, was scheduled for the same weekend just an hour away from this event. Regardless, it\u2019s great to see a bunch of local truck owners and drivers come out and support this event that gives back to benefit those locally with cancer.<\/p>
Fred Lauck Jr. has participated in this event since the beginning and does more and more each year. Being the owner of RW Haulers of Tallmadge, OH, we met after the first event and stayed in contact. Fred always tells me what he wants to do for the next show each time after the show has ended. And Fred is a man of his word \u2013 if he says it, he does it. This year he had his trucks parked in an area easily accessible by everyone at the show, along with a few tents, where he was serving food for a donation. He even had tables and chairs set up behind the food line, underneath those tents, for the people to sit and eat. Fred was able to raise $1,851 which he donated to the DMF Foundation. Great job, Fred!<\/p>
Kyle Weaver of Wooster, OH came out to the show with his stunning 1981 brown Kenworth W900A extended hood. This was his second show, and he still had a few things that needed to be done to finish the truck, but he walked away with Best of Show in the Bobtail class \u2013 and deservingly so. Completely redone inside and out with an electronic Cat, a twin stick 18-speed set up, brand new interior, a clean dashboard, and a nice and new smelling interior, look for Kyle and his amazing Kenworth at more events in the future!<\/p>
Another Best of Show winner in the Combo class was Dave Cunningham and his 2024 orange Peterbilt 389 car carrier. With about 500 lights, this baby really lights up the night and is a member of the 500 Club, but by the time you read this, he will probably have 600 lights on the Peterbilt. Our friend and past cover trucker (May 2023) Richie Foster also came to the show, and it\u2019s always great to hang out with him. He\u2019s been busy working for Reinsfelder Inc. these days, so he hasn\u2019t been able to attend many shows this year.<\/p>
This year, there was a new host for the semi truck pulling event. CS Pulling Promotions brought out some really cool trucks that I have seen at other shows, and it was great to see them at the DMF show, as well. During the event, there was a dedication to local pulling legend Fred Sanders (Silver Bullet). Fred was a long time competitor in the Big Rigs Pulling Series and has multiple wins and championships. For many years, Fred competed in the Stock and Off The Road Semi divisions, and then moved into the Big Rigs Pulling Series. Fred built and drove \u201cSilver Bullet 2\u201d then added two other teams, which were both Macks (Silver Bullet 1 and Cat Scratch Fever). Fred owned Sanders Excavating, located in Ravenna, OH, until his retirement.<\/p>
A beat up 2004 Kenworth T600B in Werner light blue paint with one stack rolled into the show. This thing looked worn out, and I was just looking at it as it arrived and thinking, \u201cWTH is that?\u201d Come to find out later that it was Marcus Ballentine, who usually does these types of events in his 1994 Kenworth W900L (ALWAYS THINK\u2019N). The W900L needed some repairs, but Marcus did not want to sink the money into it at the time. So, instead, he pulled some parts off the W900L and put them on the T600 and brought it out. He actually did pretty decent with it, and had a lot of fun, as well. I found out later that he, along with a couple of the other pulling guys, were at the other event nearby earlier that day drag racing their trucks.<\/p>
The guys in the truck show wanted to do a light show, so they asked if they could have one. The promoter said, \u201cNo problem!\u201d So, while the truck pulls were going on, a light show was happening at the same time, too. However, most of the people in attendance at the event were focused more on the exciting and loud truck pulls. I did manage to sneak away for a few minutes to get some cool pictures of the lit-up trucks, but then it was back to the truck pulls.<\/p>
This was a fun and exciting show with great people and a little different mix of trucks that attended this year (stuff you usually don\u2019t see in the area). And the change in vendor for the truck and semi pulls was a change for the better. The weather held off, and it was just a great day to attend a truck show and truck pulling event, and all for a good cause. So, mark your calendar for September 20, 2025, because the 5th annual DMF-OH Cancer Benefit will be here before you know it! And trust me, after four years of fun, you don\u2019t want to miss this one next year.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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