Trail Jam 2012
Story by Beth Woodward
Do you remember that feeling you had as a child waiting for Christmas morning? That pent up excitement that feels like your emotions could bubble over in anticipation at any moment? That is the feeling I have every year waiting for the Nova Scotia Jeep Club Jamboree. Knowing, that as the days count down, I am that much closer to spending a few days with wonderful like-minded people in an environment that is like no other.
The NSJC Jamboree in June 2012 marked my 8th year attending a Jamboree event; and after 8 years I still look forward to the butterflies in my gut that let me know I'm about to take part in something extraordinary, and I'm not the only one. In the weeks preceding the event, there was excited chatter on our forum about last minute projects and arranging convoys of Jeeps to head down to the base camp.
So what is it about the NSJC Jamboree that holds such appeal, rendering the participants giddy with anticipation? First of all, the trails that are offered are outstanding. Nestled amongst rocks and trees in Nova Scotia's beautiful Annapolis Valley, participants have the opportunity to explore and be challenged on trails of varying difficulty. Experienced trail guides help you decide what trail is best for your Jeep and your level of off-road experience so you come away exhilarated and eager for more.
Then, there are the people. This community of Jeep enthusiasts is a real testament to how people from such varied backgrounds come together over common territory. You have engineers, bankers, electricians, hobby farmers and stay-at-home-moms who all share a passion for testing the limits of their Jeep vehicle and everyone blends together into one big family.
The family aspect to being a member of the Nova Scotia Jeep Club is something that makes my heart swell with pride. The friends I have made in our club really have become a part of my family. My husband and I have welcomed Jeep friends to our home for Christmas and even had a few stand with us at our wedding.
In early 2006, while I was serving as the membership coordinator of the Nova Scotia Jeep Club, I received an email from a girl named Tia. She had recently bought her first Jeep, a 1997 Grand Cherokee, and was interested in becoming a member of the club. She had just moved back to Nova Scotia after being in Toronto for an extended period, before and after having a double lung transplant. Tia had Cystic Fibrosis and even though she faced a plethora of health challenges, she approached life with enthusiasm and vigor.
Tia became one of the biggest champions of the Nova Scotia Jeep Club and in addition to taking her Grand Cherokee everywhere she could, she also spearheaded social activities amongst our members that brought people out for non-off-roading events. She never let her Cystic Fibrosis stop her from being a part of anything she set her mind to.
She and I developed a close friendship and I drove her Jeep to Jamboree in 2006 as part of a large convoy. That year at Jamboree it poured rain, but she cheerfully took on a challenging trail with grit and determination and had an incredible time, as was evident by the glowing smile that lit up her pretty face. As soon as the weekend was over, she had to travel to Toronto for her post-transplant 6-month checkup and she'd asked me to travel with her and be her "family" for all her hospital visits. By the time we came back to Nova Scotia, it really felt like she was my little sister.
Sadly, Tia passed away on Boxing Day of 2006. She was only 22 years old. Her passing left a void in the hearts of so many people, and I know the NSJC felt the loss significantly. Her beautiful spirit and vibrant attitude are still with us and her presence is felt all the time. The trail she so enthusiastically drove at Jamboree that year was renamed in her memory and many of us still get chills when we are on the Tia Aulenback Memorial Trail.
After her passing, Tia's Jeep stayed in the NSJC family through her boyfriend. He had it for a number of years and it was always a bit of a tear-jerker moment seeing it traveling down the road. After some time had passed, and Tia's Jeep wasn't being driven anymore, he decided to sell it. It was eventually sold, but it wasn't public knowledge who the buyer was.
It was revealed at the NSJC Jamboree this year that Tia's Jeep Grand Cherokee had been bought by Andre Simons who owns APJ Automotive in Lower Sackville, Nova Scotia, Canada. He had taken it, and with an incredible amount of labour and the generosity of local distributors, had brought the Jeep back to its former glory. It was put through its paces on the trails at the 2012 NSJC Jamboree. It was wonderful – if not emotional – to see it in action again.
During the Saturday night closing ceremonies, I sat with my good friend Angeline who had also been very close with Tia. She informed me that Andre had purchased Tia's Jeep with the intention of giving it away as the big surprise grand prize at Jamboree, as a thank-you to the many loyal Jeep customers he’s had over the past 15 years. The two of us discussed how we hoped the Jeep went to someone who knew Tia; knew her story or at the very least could appreciate the significance.
When it was announced that Tia's Jeep was being given away, there was a murmur through the crowd of 179 participants and 18 trail guides. Andre got up in front of those assembled and said some wonderful things about Tia that left Angeline and I very emotional and tearful. When he was finished, Andre called me to come up and draw the name of the lucky winner. It felt like my legs were too weak to walk, but I grabbed Angeline by the hand and together we made it to the front of the crowd. There, I rifled my hand through a box of paper slips with the names of all Jamboree attendees.
I drew out a name and handed it to Andre, who unfolded the paper and read out the name of a wonderful friend, Kevin Knowles. He came to the front of the crowd amid cheers that would rival that of a college football crowd. Kevin shook Andre’s hand and was given the key to Tia’s Jeep Grand Cherokee.
Then, in a moment that was unspeakably surreal, Kevin turned to me and handed me the key to the Tia's Jeep. I shook my head no, he nodded his head yes. He said it was meant to be mine, and pressed the key into my hand. The air felt electric and the crowd absolutely roared.
The moments that followed are a bit foggy. I was hugged and congratulated and walked over to the driver’s door of my own Jeep! I slid behind the wheel and had a bunch of pictures taken, then encouraged to “take it through the mud pit” which is an activity that is held every year at the end of the Jamboree closing ceremonies. I was initially reluctant, but was convinced after being reminded, “Tia would have done it”. And it’s true, she would have. So I asked my friend Angeline to be my passenger. We buckled up and I pointed my new Jeep at a well-churned pit of Annapolis Valley mud.
In the months since the NSJC Jamboree, the shock that Tia's Jeep is now MY Jeep has worn off, but I still feel a giddy thrill when I get behind the wheel. One of Tia's hair elastics is still around the shifter and it will remain there as a talisman. I know she's with me wherever I go and I am blessed to be able to share the story of how her Jeep became mine.
It seems that every year at the NSJC Jamboree there is a defining moment. For 2012 it surely was the unbelievably kind and generous actions of Andre Simons and Kevin Knowles, and how Tia's Jeep ended up with one of her friends. This gracious gesture was incredibly emotional and touched the hearts of every person in attendance.
I cannot begin to express the joy and gratitude I feel when I look at my Jeep and think of how it came to be mine. The Nova Scotia Jeep Club has brought people into my world, that have enriched my life and I am grateful and proud to call them my "family".