Summer is flying by, and soon it will be September when the Truck Safety Coalition holds it annual fundraising dinner, and then it will be November when we ask our friends and family to donate through Giving Tuesday, and then it will be December when we make that last push to meet our funding goals.

Because I’m on TSC’s board I’m hyper aware of the need to fundraise, but before we get into this end of year cycle where I’m asking you for your support I just wanted to say thank you.

Thank you for the dollars you sent us at the end of 2024 when I was asking for support at our dinner. Thank you for going online when I was working the Giving Tuesday platform. Thank you for putting checks in the mail, directly to them or to me.

It feels just like yesterday that so many of you were actively engaged with my cause making it, at least for the moment, your cause too. It makes me feel less alone in the fight.

I don’t remember if I told you about our dinner last September. When I got up to speak I looked around at that crowded banquet room, at all the faces there. Crash survivors, victims’ families, TSC staff members, attorneys, other safety related non-profits, friends, Congressional staffers concerned about the issues, all these people were intermingled at the tables, and I thought….”We are not alone.”

And I said this out loud, I asked the victims’ families and survivors to look around. I told them our work is hard and sometimes it feels lonely, but look around at all these people here to support us. We are not alone. Our family members and our previous lives have not been forgotten.

And that’s how you make me feel too. So I wanted to say a simple thank you — without any ask attached.

A friend of mine made cards for me, using a photo of my parents and me taken a few decades ago. Who knew back then what I’d be working on now? I sent the cards to people I knew had donated last year, if I had an address. I would have sent them to all of you, but I know some of you wonderful people only online.

Think about how amazing that is.

You know me only online and still you support the cause that means so much to me…saving people’s lives, reducing truck crashes, supporting families, and spreading the word to be careful when you’re driving.

I know I’ll be back soon, asking for money to support our work. And once in awhile I’m sure I’ll be on my soapbox again. But for now, thank you all so much for listening and letting me ramble.

The deaths and injury numbers are going up, we can’t stop now.