Each year, the Make-A-Wish Mother's Day Truck Convoy travels through the county, bringing smiles to the faces of people along the route and raising funds for children facing life-threatening illnesses. You can be part of the fun by joining the event as a Make-A-Wish clown.

Participating as a clown is a fun and easy way to support the effort, said Amy Nolt, whose clown name is hArMonY.

"Pretty much anybody can be a clown," she said. "I used to be very introverted, but I love doing this."

To help people get into clown character, Amy holds classes at her Lititz home.

"We teach people how to put on makeup, how to choose their clown name and outfit," she said. "We teach them clown etiquette and give pointers on how to interact with people."

Clown opportunities are available for people of all ages, she said, and no special skills are required.

"Some people do magic tricks as they walk around. Some people do balloons. We had an acrobat last year, but you don't have to be able to do anything other than be available to walk around, talk to the kids, take pictures with the Wish kids," she said. "Some people like to hand out stickers or little items to give away."

This year's Make-A-Wish Mother's Day Truck Convoy will be held on Saturday, May 10, at the Manheim Pennsylvania Auto Auction, 1190 Lancaster Road, Manheim. A family fest will begin at 9 a.m., and the truck convoy will kick off at 1:30 p.m. Since 1990, almost 12,000 trucks have driven in the convoy, and the event has raised more than $9.2 million, granting wishes to more than 900 children in the Susquehanna Valley.

Amy and her husband, Mark, have been organizing the clowns for about 10 years. Amy has been involved with Make-A-Wish for almost 30 years.

"I started in college as part of a clown ministry," she said, noting that when the previous clown organizer found out Amy had clowned in college, he invited her to help out with the convoy.

For her character, Amy dresses in a rainbow-striped outfit covered in music notes. Her husband, whose clown name is Teed Off, dresses as a golfer.

The clowns entertain the crowd before the truck convoy departs from the Manheim Auto Auction and then walk along the convoy route, spreading joy as they go.

"We try to cover the entire 26-mile route, but we need help to do that," Amy said. "We had 14 clowns last year, and that was a big number for recent years. In the past, we've had as many as 40 clowns. Trying to cover 26 miles with a few people is a little daunting."

When she says people of all ages can participate as clowns, she means it. "We take any age," she said. "Our oldest clown last year was 85. Anyone under 13 must be accompanied by a parent or other responsible adult."

If people are interested in supporting the fundraiser but don't want to dress up as clowns, there are opportunities to walk the route as a non-clown as well, she said.

Clown classes are held on an as-needed basis, and Amy said she's available to teach a class on any Saturday or Sunday in April, except for Easter Sunday, April 20.

"I invite anyone who is interested to come to a clown class and learn more," she said. "The clowns just add a little more fun to the convoy."

For more information on volunteering as a clown, call or text Amy at 717-587-9841.