Lighting up the night
The Raney’s Road to Wishes fundraising truck show in Ocala was bigger and brighter this year.
Flames shoot from pipes of a big-rig in the Lights Out light show during the Road to Wishes Truck Show at Raney’s Truck Parts and Chrome Shop in Ocala, Fla. on Friday, February 6, 2026. The second-annual Road to Wishes big-rig show was held on February 6 and 7 and was a fundraiser for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2026.
With bright flames shooting several feet high from the tall pipes of semi-trucks on the evening of Feb. 6 in Ocala, the Raney’s Road to Wishes fundraiser got off to a rousing start.
The event, organized by Raney’s Truck Parts, a provider of aftermarket parts and accessories for the heavy-duty trucking industry, this year spanned two days, Friday and Saturday, with expanded offerings.
The event, as with the inaugural show in 2025, was a benefit for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. It took place at Raney’s Chrome Shop at 3030 W. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala.
CEO Joel Raney said ahead of the show that it was being expanded to include a Friday night light show with food trucks and live music, with several additional activities set for Feb. 7.
The “Gazette” did a Q&A with Raney on Feb. 9 to learn the outcome.
How did the added Friday night event go?
“I was extremely happy with how our Friday night addition turned out. If you’ve never seen nearly 70 semi-trucks all lit up at the same time, with every type of light pattern, color and strobe effect you can imagine, it is well worth experiencing. The live music was amazing as well and with several food trucks on site, it just felt like a really fun, large parking lot party. We had several hundred attend the nighttime event and I am sure that will grow next year.”
What about the other added activities?
“We added more inflatable activities this year, which were very popular with the kids. We had inflatable football games, dart games, axe throwing and more. We also had a mechanical bull this year, which was a big hit.”
Overall, how was the turnout this year?
“The turnout was great! We had nearly 2,000 total attendees between Friday and Saturday, which was up from last year, and we had close to 20 more trucks this year. There was a wide range of semis for people to admire. On Saturday, the crowds were quite large, with the field for parking next to us completely full and the kids’ activities area packed all day. I know the food trucks were busy as well.”
How much did you raise for Make A Wish Central and Northern Florida?
“Well, our goal is $90,000 and we are still tallying up all of the day of event funds raised, so I don’t have a final number yet. With that said, I feel strongly that we are going to reach that goal. I know we are currently over $65,000.”
Will you do it again next year?
“Absolutely and it will be in February again.”
To learn more, go to raneystruckparts.com/faq-road-to-wishes
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