6206 Flint Gap Road, Knoxville, Tennessee 37914
We have a great club and community, here in Knoxville,
Tennessee. The Smoky Mountain Antique Engine and Tractor
Association and the Dream Connection from Knoxville joined hands to
help a child.
Six year old Nicholas Harold had his dream fulfilled at the
World’s Fair Park. Nick has Bruton’s Ammaglobulinemia, an
immune system disorder that makes him highly vulnerable to
contagious diseases. He and his older brother, Ronnie, are
hospitalized two to three times a year as a result from their
inherited disease.
Nick’s special day was organized by the Dream Connection, a
local nonprofit group that raises money to fulfill the wishes of
children with life threatening illnesses. Dream Connection has no
paid staff, everyone is a volunteer, and all the fundraising they
do goes straight to the kids. Nick had asked the Dream Connection
for a remote control tractor. Martin Shafer and Janice Hall,
special members of our club who are on the board of the Dream
Connection, spread the word about Nick’s wish.
It didn’t take long for some of the members of the Smoky
Mountain Antique Engine and Tractor Association to get their
tractors for Nick to ride. He rode every tractor and car that was
there. It only took him about four hours. There was Riley Kennedy
and his big blue Ford, Dena and Marvin Watkins with their big
‘Crossbreed’ International pulling tractor with a 350 Chevy
engine and their pulling sled ‘No Mercy.’ Larry and Patsy
Morris had their ‘G’ Allis Chalmers, Linda and Raymond
Whited, their big John Deere, Donald James, his red bellied Ford,
and Robert and Wanda Alvin, their 1902 replica Cadillac. Tony Jones
was also there to lend a helping hand.
Josh, Justin, Larry and Franklin Kennedy were there to represent
three generations for their Gibson tractor, Spence Walker and
grandson were there with his Farmall, Martin Shafer had his Farmall
Cub, Janice Hall and son Steven were there for all our moral
support, and David Vanaman had his John Deere orchard tractor.
John Jennings was there helping Marvin Watkins with the pulling
sled, and friends of Martin Shafer’s, Bob and Vickie Walker,
came by to take some pictures. There were all kinds of model
tractors and books donated by different companies and
individuals.
That just got our members fueled up. Our next club meeting was
the one where Santa Claus came. Martin Shafer donated a riding lawn
mower and Riley Kennedy took it with him and restored it to look
like his big blue Ford. Robert Alvis restored the seat on it, a
tractor company donated the emblems for a Ford. Nick and his family
joined us for the meeting, but Nick didn’t know what was
planned for him.
Santa came and Nick got his very own Ford tractor with working
head and tail lights. Needless to say, he couldn’t believe it.
Martin Shafer also surprised the family when he gave them $500.00
from the Dream Connection to make their Christmas brighter.
One thing we all have to agree on, there are no people better
than those Antique Engine and Tractor Association collectors!
