Truckers honor Reynolds with event
Scores of truckers riding eastbound and down this weekend will mark the passing of the actor Burt Reynolds, known to many, particularly here in Texarkana, as the Bandit of “Smokey and the Bandit” fame.
The Small Business in Transportation Coalition, a trucking industry trade group, organized the Bandit homage after Reynolds’ recent death early this month. James Lamb, president and spokesman for Truckers. com says his trade group’s aim is to celebrate the main actor from the biggest movie around for truckers.
“Basically, the whole idea is we are putting on a tribute event for Burt Reynolds,” Lamb said, noting they canvassed the trade group’s 14,000 members to gauge interest in getting together to celebrate Reynolds’ life and the Bandit glory. It was there.
“That kind of put us on this quick path to put something together,” Lamb said. And it will start here in Texarkana, where the Bandit, as the film goes, started out with his
haul of 400 cases of Coors beer, all headed to Georgia. None other than Jackie Gleason’s Smokey wanted to put a stop to this bootleg bonanza of bountiful brew.
The event starts at noon Saturday with a memorial service for Reynolds at the Texarkana Convention Center: invocation, prayers, and a proclamation presented by the cities. “Both mayors are going to be in attendance,” Lamb said, noting this part of the event is open to the public.
From there, the gathering of truckers celebrates Reynolds’ life and work throughout the afternoon and evening. “Smokey and the Bandit” and “The Cannonball Run” will be screened during the day, and then at night for an adult audience it’s “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.”
Lamb said he did extend invitations to Dolly Parton and Sally Field to participate, but he didn’t expect they’d be able to attend. He has consulted with the Burt Reynolds Institute for Film & Theatre and Reynolds’ manager while planning the event. He’s also invited Coors to sponsor.
The festivities for truckers will include a cash bar, food and a deejay playing music after the movies. Then at 7 p.m. The Road Hammers will perform. They’re a trucker-friendly country band hailing from Canada. A comedian with trucker humor to share is also scheduled to perform before “Best Little Whorehouse” is shown.
“The idea here is that Truckers.com is putting this on for the trucking industry,” Lamb said.
For anyone with a CDL, it’s free to attend for them and their families. Also, anyone who wants to attend but doesn’t have a CDL licence can become a member of the Small Business in Transportation Coalition and show the receipt at the door. (Do that at Truckers.com.)
Then at noon on Sunday, a procession of truckers will leave from Texarkana to head to Atlanta, Ga. The public is invited to come out and watch them leave town. There may be surprise guests in Trans Ams.
“Sunday is the big convoy,” Lamb said, noting the exact route is still a work in progress. And about the convoy heading out on the road, he said, “That will be a sight to see when it comes to fruition.”
Lamb recalls being about 8 or 9 years old when he saw “Smokey and the Bandit” for the first time. This is his way, and the truckers’ way, of saying thank you to Reynolds.
“He certainly had an influence on me and my life,” Lamb said.
(On the Net: Truckers.com.)