Teen Spends Seven Days on Top of a Semi Truck To Raise Money for a Faith-Based Nonprofit
A Florida teen spent seven days of his Thanksgiving break sleeping on top of a semi truck to raise money for a good cause.
Carson Rudy, 14, hopes to help Convoy of Hope, a faith-base humanitarian aid organization, purchase a brand new semi-truck to help their efforts by raising $250,000 by 2024.
The teen first heard about the organization while in Indiana for a conference, where he was being honored for raising over $100,000 for a variety of charities. When he saw a semi truck for the organization parked outside, he told his dad he wanted to raise money to help them buy another.
Convoy of Hope uses the semi trucks to transport vital supplies to those in need.
When Carson’s father, Shawn Rudy, reached out to Convoy of Hope to ask them how much a semi truck would cost, they were initially confused.
“They were like, ‘Excuse me?’” Shawn Rudy told The Lakeland Ledger. “I said, ‘My son wants to raise money to buy you a new truck and trailer,’ and the people said, ‘Oh wow, this kid is legit.’”
Carson said he supports the organization because they do more than just disaster relief.
“It also teaches people in third world countries how to grow their own food,” he said, adding that the faith-based organization also focuses on “women empowerment.”
His campaign caught the attention of Diesel Life, a diesel fan and trucker apparel company, which became his first corporate sponsor.
The company pledged 50 percent of their online sales from Nov. 19 to Nov. 26 to Carson’s campaign.
“You can probably find most 14 year old boys playing Fortnite, or glued to their cell phones, but not Carson Rudy,” the apparel company wrote on Facebook. “Although Carson did admit he loves playing games on his iPad he has a passion for charity work.”
Carson ascended the truck, donated for the week by Saccar Trucking, parked outside of his church on Nov. 19 and lived in a built “Truck House” that sat on top of the trailer, complete with a bathroom tent.
People brought Carson meals and came from all over to donate to “Carson’s Big Rig Project.”
Despite the rain and the cold, the determined teen stayed on top of the semi, only coming down for 10 minutes a day to take a shower.
This year, he is aiming to raise $20,000 toward his $250,000 goal. So far, he’s raised nearly $10,000 of that goal!
Sleeping outside to raise money for charity isn’t something new for Carson. In 2016, he spent his Thanksgiving break sleeping on top of a billboard to raise money to fund missionary work, according to WTVT. Carson raised over $100,000 during that “Up in The Air” project.
Even though many have commending the teen for his efforts, Carson remains humble and turns the focus back on the cause.
“Some people need help in faraway places that can’t always get it,” he told Bay 9 News. “It feels nice to know that you’re helping people.”
If you would like to donate to Carson’s campaign, benefiting Convoy of Hope, you can donate online through his church by clicking this link.
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