Perry, Mo. – Amanda Jaspering Memorial Tractor towing will be hosted on Saturday, September 11 at Bill Traver Memorial Park in Perry. The annual event is open to the public, and the Perry Lions Club will be on site offering food.
This garden tractor marks the 20th anniversary of the trailer. On April 12, 2006, he died in a car accident in memory of Amanda Jaspering. Amanda was the first to convince a garden tractor trailer after the Perry Fall Festival team. The idea came to him.
“Jeremy’s first response is’ What? Do you pull a lawn mower? ‘But Amanda had a way of getting what she wanted from her older brother. Jeremy’s wife, Melissa Jaspering, remembers with a laugh. She was very active in pulling and she wanted to share her love for him.
A garden tractor trailer takes traditional traction and weighs it with small slides to pull grass, trucks, and more. This gives the sport the opportunity to participate safely to all ages and to all ages.
Melissa says: “We have people dragging us between 3 and 90 years of age.” It’s an amazing sport and most people don’t know it or understand it until they see it for themselves.
The event was part of the “Time” Spring Festival in Perry, and Melissa was not big enough for the first few years. Proceeds from the event went to the Perry Nutrition Center for the first two years and to the Perry Christian Academy in the third year.
Now the event is not only appealing to the general public in Missouri, but also offers a $ 1,000 scholarship to the highway at Mackway High School, following the death of Amanda. Last year’s scholarship was divided between two winners.
“My mother and father-in-law read all the articles and worked closely with the school,” says Melissa. They try to pick someone who looks like Amanda, who is a good example and positive influence for those around her and who has participated in programs such as FFA and 4-H. Now, someone else may have a chance to live a life that she did not have.
The towing, which takes place every Saturday after Labor Day, is itself an annual event with commuters around the country. Many plan family vacations around the event, usually arriving just a few days before the barbecue begins.
“We all call it a family meeting,” Melissa recalled an incident in the middle of the day. He was a regular trailer but it was the first one he did, and he stopped her in the middle and suggested to her. Now they are making fun of her for dragging the wedding, but she has drawn the line.
From last year’s event, from the humble beginning to the 200 hooks, while other towers often bring in 50 to 60, Melissa said it makes community engagement and spectators come to talk to the barns and ask questions about their equipment.
“The people of the city are very good,” said Carol Foster, of Cuba, Illinois. “We try to make a lot of friends in one place and make new friends. Jaspering is getting better every year to make everyone feel welcome and make everyone happy! ”
Melissa appreciates the Perry community for the warm welcome they receive each year.
“The community here is just as open and friendly,” she said. “We keep quiet about how many people want to be part of it. The love and support you feel when you enter the park on Saturday is felt by everyone.
One of the most important aspects of pulling out the Amanda Jaspering Memorial Garden tractor is that it is free to the public and will remain there until Melissa runs. They put everything at a reasonable price, even for players.
“The main point is that admission is free and does not cost an arm or a leg. Families come and get grass chairs and refrigerators. ” “It is very rare to find something to do right now.”
Melissa also celebrates the success of the trip from year to year with many volunteers and generous sponsors. In fact, they say, they are the reason she continues to be dragged along by Amanda. The family had a hard time putting the event together, and in the midst of the grief, they almost left it all together.
“People came in and helped us get together, and we could never do without them,” Melissa said. “Although her death is tragic, knowing that she is being remembered and helping others is truly unique.”
Volunteers continue to make the event work, and Melissa says she will continue behind the scenes in a way no one else knows. With donations and volunteers, they were able to purchase concrete blocks to replace the park’s security tape. Start preparing the track every year and go up and down even when it’s not time for the event.
“It’s always raining when it’s time to get ready for the trailer – every year,” she said. “But we have decided to volunteer. Nothing can stop them from doing so. ”
By giving back in every possible way, the event is about giving back to the community. Even with food proceeds from the Perry Lions Club, a scholarship will be awarded to Amanda Jaspering.
For more information, drag the garden tractor to Amanda Jaspering Memorial on Facebook. Registration will take place on the day of the event.
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