LAKE WALES, Fla. — For the third time, a Lake Wales teen is spending part of his Thanksgiving break camping outside to raise money for charity.
- Carson Rudy is spending Thanksgiving camping atop semi
- He's trying to raise money for faith-based humanitarian group
- Goal is to get $20,000 by Tuesday; he has 1st national sponsor
Carson Rudy enjoys spending his time away from school raising money for Convoy of Hope, a faith-based international humanitarian relief organization. He raises the money by camping out with his dad, this time on top of a semi truck.
“Some people need help in faraway places that can’t always get it,” Carson said. “It feels nice to know that you’re helping people.”
This year, Carson is trying to raise $20,000 by 1 p.m. November 26.
“Anything is possible,” Carson said.
This year, he got his first national sponsor, Diesel Life, a trucker clothing company. It's donating 50 percent of its online sales this week to Carson.
One man arrived in a Porsche, driving 40 miles to drop off a $200 donation. Another man, Allen Booth, said he is so proud of what Carson is doing.
“My hat goes off to him. I don’t think I could sleep on top of a semi for seven days,” Booth said.
The semi truck is parked at his church, Impact Church, which is located next to the entrance of Bok Tower Gardens.
“Last night was probably the wildest night we’ve ever experienced on top of a structure. The rain came, and when that cold front came through, we had a sheet of water pouring between these two tents, and I looked at Carson and all I hear is him snoring,” recalled Carson’s father, Shawn.
So far this year, Rudy has raised more than $5,000.
His ultimate goal is to raise $250,000 by 2024 so he can help Convoy of Hope purchase a new semi truck for its international missions.