'Convoy for Kids' raising money for children

CHICOPEE, Mass. (WWLP) - The engines were revving Sunday morning as tractors and motorcycles lined up for the 16th annual "Convoy for Kids," which raises money for Springfield's Ronald McDonald House.

Many years ago, Dawn Basile's father heard a song called 'Teddy Bear' on the radio. The lyrics from the song gave him a big idea, and that big idea turned into an annual tradition that Dawn has carried on. Every summer the Convoy for Kids makes its way down the Mass Pike and raises money for Springfield's Ronald McDonald House, a special home away from home for children and their families during medical treatments.

“They have their own private room, their own private bath. We have kitchen facilities, laundry facilities, a playground. Everything they need, just like they have in their own home,” said Jennifer Putnam, executive director of the Ronald McDonald House of Springfield.

To these truck drivers and bikers, the Convoy for Kids is a one day donation of their time and money. But that money goes far, and it means the world to families at the Ronald McDonald House.

“I was worried to come here. I didn't know what to find. The house, everybody loves each other. It's very nice. I love them,” said Laura Taranu, who traveled from Cyprus for her son’s extensive surgery and year-long recovery.

But the Ronald McDonald kids aren't the only ones who get something out of the Convoy-- it turns out the drivers have just as much fun.

“The height, the big truck, the sound of the motor, the horns. They get so excited. It's a blast for them,” said John Daniels, one of the drivers since the Convoy’s start.

“To me it's something we can give back to the community,” added driver Tom Stone.

A community where these families comforts and needs come before the bills.

The Convoy ends with a big barbecue in Palmer for everyone involved. Since its start, Convoy for Kids has raised thousands of dollars for sick children and their families.