The word Addiction can have negative connotations to some, but one can be addicted to good things too. Let’s stick with the latter.
This addiction started in September of 2020. Matt Ford, of Springfield, Missouri, was off work and on dialysis due to his polycystic kidney disease (PKD). Enjoying his 1965 GMC C-15 gave Matt something to keep his mind occupied. I would dare to say it literally played a role in his positive mental attitude during this difficult time.
While he was wrenching on that truck, he kept thinking about how there had to be other like-minded folks out there that were also “addicted” to the GM trucks. Matt reached out to Craig Heseman that runs Ford F100 World. With his guidance, Matt jumped into the world of social media, more specifically Facebook, and launched MO C10 Addiction. The group includes all “C” numbers: 10,20,30, etc and the “K” series too. You’re welcome if you enjoy Squarebody or older GM full size trucks and SUV’s and live in Missouri, or close neighboring states. The site literally blew up within a month or two. At this time Matt enlisted the help of Dustin Nutter, another local C10 owner and addict, to help coral the site. I was actually there in the early days to witness the explosive growth. It was very exciting to see “addicted” guys and gals getting connected, sharing pictures of their trucks and the camaraderie that has developed. To date MO C10 Addiction has 3,500 members and climbing.
In 2021, Matt had another idea. How about a truck show AND cruise? Daring to be different Matt, Dustin, and Craig organized the first C10 Cruise ‘N Show. They picked a lot in Springfield and were blown away when 75 trucks showed up (well beyond what the location could hold). The event was deemed a success, and all involved had a great time. Planning began immediately for the 2022 event, upping the stakes for an expected larger turnout! Matt and Dustin wanted to stay with the show and cruise idea. With the help of family and friends they got busy organizing the event and securing locations, one of which was the backside of the beautiful Ozark Empire Fairgrounds. I say beautiful because the back part of the fairgrounds is grassy with huge oak trees, much like a park setting. They secured a couple vendors for door prizes and A1 Automotive Machine donated a Chevy small block engine that would be raffled off at the event. Which allowed the MO C10 Addiction boys to write a sizable check to the PKD Foundation, which holds dear to Matt’s heart, or should we say kidney.
The show part started off early Saturday morning, May 14, 2022. The trucks started pouring in…and they kept pouring in. By the time it was said and done just over 200 GM trucks piled into the scenic venue. As you can see it was a beautiful sight to behold. Around noon the prizes were given out, the motor raffle was drawn, and the show turned into a cruise. Imagine driving down the road and seeing a line of GM trucks stretching for what seemed like miles; I think even the Ford and Dodge guys sat and watched with their mouths hanging open. The cruise wound through about 75 miles of Ozarks back roads. It took the parade of trucks on original sections of old Route 66, the countryside around those parts was a joy to drive through. There were a couple of historic stops along the way. The first was an old Sinclair gas station and then the old Spencer, MO Phillips gas station. Both were very cool to see! The last stop of the event was the small and welcoming town of Willard, MO, where we parked, ate at local restaurants and just talked trucks. All in all, Matt and Dustin knocked the show out of the park. I would encourage you to join MO C10 Addiction on Facebook or Instagram and keep an eye out for pre-registration information for the 3rd annual C10 Cruise N’ Show on September 9th, 2023. You do not have to be a member or from Missouri to come to the show, trucks come from all over.
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