2018 Tractor Parade
The day began with everyone meeting at Old Highway 6 Tractor and Equipment. The tractors were unloaded, and everyone came inside. People who were there signed in, received their meal tickets after paying $25 then enjoyed some coffee, rolls, and time to visit and get to know each other.
About 8:55 AM, I turned on a microphone and welcomed everyone to the tractor ride, and thanked them for their donations to the great cause. I chatted about how I got to be interested in tractors as someone who was visually impaired, and told about how I was following the research at the University of Iowa Clinics. I then proceeded to chat about the route where we would be traveling. After doing so, I handed the microphone off to Mel Hursey, who again, thanked everyone for being there, and also led the Pledge of Allegiance. The ride departed shortly thereafter.
After riding on the tractors for awhile, we all pulled off at Kmart in Council Bluffs. Riders enjoyed some cookies and water, a restroom break, and time to socialize. While all of this was happening, KETV was there taking pictures and interviewing me. That was also a fun experience. After the interview, I hollered out, “Load them up!” The ride departed Kmart about two minutes thereafter.
After another hour and a half or so, we all ended up at the Dew Drop Inn in McClelland, Iowa for lunch. We had hamburgers, chips, and baked beans on the menu, and lemonade and water to drink. The lunch time seemed to just fly by, but everyone seemed to really enjoy themselves while there.
About 45 minutes into the lunch time, I again addressed the crowd. This time, it was all about the latest and greatest things that were happening at the Clinics with the eye research. Everybody seemed to really enjoy the information that I presented. At the end, though, I asked the question that really sparked a lot of interest. I said, “Folks, I know that we are all having a great time here today. So please show me, with applause, how many of you think I should make this an annual event?” The entire room roared! So, that is the plan. I plan to make this an annual event, the first Saturday in August. The ride departed about five minutes later.
After riding for another hour and a half, we had a very brief stop at Mount Hope Church. The riders again enjoyed a wonderful snack of cookies and water. We then headed back to Old Highway 6 Tractor and Equipment, where the riders loaded up their tractors and headed home for the day. The ride finished about 3:45 PM.
The statistics are as follows. Thirty tractors were there that day. 30% were International, 20% were Oliver, 20% were John Deere, 20% were Ford, with Allis Chalmers finishing the ride at 10%. No roadside assistance was needed that day.