They’re big, they’re bad, they’re ugly and they’re coming to Harrisburg.
The first Woody and the Wake-Up Call Ugly Truck Parade/Contest is ready to putt through Harrisburg on Aug. 17.
"The trucks have to be ugly," said Woody Johnson, wake-up show host for WCOL-FM. "The uglier the better."
The morning show folks at the station came up with the idea and wanted the hosting area to be a small town in central Ohio.
"It’s not an event that’s fitting for a larger city or a suburb." said Johnson.
Some of the areas considered were Magnetic Springs, West Jefferson, Mount Sterling and London, but it was Harrisburg who got the vote.
"We chose the first town to dot the I’s and cross the T’s and Harrisburg was the first to get everything together," Johnson explained.
Harrisburg Mayor Cindy Taylor said she heard about the contest while listening to the morning show.
"They wanted a small town and that’s what we are," said Taylor. "I called right away and told them we would do anything we needed to do."
Taylor quickly sought approval by village council.
"I wanted to get everybody on board," she commented. "Folks around here will just have a blast with this."
To celebrate the parade, the Harrisburg VFW will open for breakfast. Taylor also explained that some of the local organizations are already making displays and they are kicking around the idea of a cornhole tournament and a battle of the bands.
The trucks in the contest have to be ugly but as Johnson explained they also have to be able to operate through the parade.
"They can tow it in but it has to be able to power through the parade."
The parade route will take the ugly trucks down Columbus Street and through town; their normal parade route. Taylor said the actual parade will be approximately one mile. She also noted that the police department would not be giving any equipment violation tickets during the event.
Each truck will be judged and the ugliest of the ugly will win a new used truck courtesy of Byers Downtown Chevrolet, a prize worth about $7,000. Johnson said the station has already declined three entries because the trucks were simply not ugly enough. To register your ugly truck, log onto www.wcol.com, keyword Woody. The registration deadline is noon on Aug. 15.
