SACO – Owen Winslow pedaled wildly on a miniature John Deere tractor Sunday surrounded by a ring of children pulling and urging him on.

There was no sign that the boy, son of Michelle and Jerry Winslow of Auburn, had undergone brain surgery just two months ago.

Owen was one of about 30 Make-A-Wish Maine children who were feted by the Southern Maine Garden Tractor Pulling Club at a fundraiser at a Boom Road farm along the Saco River. The club’s vice president, Ernie Lowell, said it hoped to top the $10,800 raised last year.

“Boys and girls, they all love tractors,” said Lowell.

This is the sixth year the club has hosted a tractor-pulling event for Make-A-Wish Maine, which grants wishes to children with life-threatening medical conditions.

Lowell said every year the event has grown. The first year about seven children showed up and the event made $1,300.

Advertisement

Today the fundraiser includes two auctions, a barbecue, music and an array of antique and custom vehicles and draws more than 400 people.

The club’s child members donate the use of their garden tractors, many of them souped-up versions painted in neon colors and decorated with decals. The tractors send up a deafening roar as contestants pull heavy weights toward the finish line.

“This is amazing,” said Stacey Turkington of Gray.

Turkington’s daughter Delilah, 3, who has leukemia, was too young to ride in the tractor-pulling competition, which was fine with her older brother, Tristan, 6, who happily rode in her place.

“He was so excited, he was up at 5:30 this morning,” said his mother.

Eileen Chretien, volunteer director of Make-A-Wish Maine, said the tractor club is an important benefactor of her organization. Make-A-Wish Maine grants a wish to a Maine child about every five days, which adds up to about 70 wishes a year. About half of the wishes are for a trip to Disney World, but some wishes may be as simple as a trip to a grandparent. The average cost of each wish is about $6,000, Chretien said.

“It is quite a lot of money and these kinds of events are key for us,” Chretien said.

Beth Quimby can be contacted at 791-6363 or at:

bquimby@pressherald.com


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.