World's Largest Truck Convoy benefits Special Olympics

The World's Largest Truck Convoy, an annual event benefiting Special Olympics Illinois, stayed true to its name Saturday with 86 rigs making the 30-mile round-trip from the Sears Centre Arena in Hoffman Estates.

The 2016 convoy beat last year's total of 70 trucks, said Katie Herriott, director of Torch Run Development for Special Olympics Illinois.

And though the fundraising total wasn't immediately available Saturday, it also certainly exceeded the 2015 amount of $18,000, she added.

In addition to the truckers it attracts, the event also receives strong support from police officers involved in the Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics.

The convoy set off west on the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway at 10 a.m. before turning back to the Sears Centre at Route 47.

The basic entry fee for the event is $100 per truck, but larger sponsorships allow for a smaller rate for each vehicle.

A lunch and welcome-back reception awaited the truckers on their return to the Sears Centre. Though the cost was included in the truckers' entry fees, other guests who did not participate in the drive could attend the lunch for $25 each.