OVERLAND PARK, Kan. — Just like in trucking, Tim Smith saw a huge blind spot.
“We have a lot of need to give back to the kids, and so we thought it would be a cool thing to marry the trucking industry with basketball and the school supply drive," Smith told me.
Smith is a youth basketball coach, and also owns a trucking insurance company. So, he merged two of his passions to help raise money and school supplies for kids in the Kansas City area.
And he’s brought in a few Kansas Jayhawk reinforcements to help.
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KU women’s basketball player S’Mya Nichols and former KU men’s basketball player and current Denver Nuggets player Christian Braun.
“A backpack, shoes, pencils, paper. Those things go a long way,” Braun told me. "I was very fortunate I had a very good situation growing up. But I also know a lot of people that weren’t. That didn’t have the things I had, and I think that’s where the inspiration comes in for me."
Nichols also sees the importance of an event such as this.
“I feel like help is really important when it comes to education and that’s what we’re doing for other kids," Nichols told me.
The goal is to have enough to load up several trucks before the start of the school year. And have the kids see some cool trucks in the process. Organizers say it’s their way of making sure kids are prepared for the long haul.
“There are so many families that are given everything they have just to have kids in those school systems,” Smith told me.
The event is called Truckin Back 2 School.
- 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Blue Valley Northwest High School / 13260 Switzer Road, Overland Park
- There will be a Semi-Truck Show
- A Pop A Shot Contest against local athletes Christian Braun, S’Mya Nichols and more
- Free haircuts for anyone currently school-age
- All proceeds go towards school supplies for kids in need within the KC Metro schools
- People can get involved through private donations through the website, silent auction at the event, or live raffle at the event
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