A charity tractor pull held in 2023 is getting new life this year, returning to the Stumpff Family Event Center this month with a new name and new individual the event will benefit.
The 2nd Annual Pullin’ for the People tractor pull is set for Aug. 17, with gates opening at 4 p.m. and the pull starting at 7 p.m.
Organized by Jason Harling last year to benefit his co-worker, this year’s event will benefit a local child, Kooper Tuten, who was diagnosed with Leukemia when he was a year old.
After a 9-month stay at St. Jude Hospital in Memphis, Tenn., he was sent home. Tuten is in remission but travels to Springfield for weekly chemo treatments, and to St. Jude monthly for chemo inspections into his spine.
Harling said he had originally planned to not organize another tractor pull, but after a spot opened up, he was encouraged to make the event an annual occurrence.
“I had already thought in my head if I decided to do it, let’s do it for a little kid with cancer or a single mom that’s got three or four kids, try to help basic individual people out that need it,” he said.
Harling said by giving to someone locally, he feels those donating are leaving more gratified.
“The community can see first-hand who they are helping,” Harling said. “It’s great to help St. Jude’s and Shriner’s and all of them, but you can’t see it first-hand. So for me, being able to see the people that I can help and know them in a sense, and know they’re from our own community and that our money went to help them, is a big thing.”
Harling said the decision to support Tuten’s family came partly from his wife, who is friends with Tuten’s mother, Jatha Wall. Harling is also friends with Wall’s father and sister.
“They are super nice, super good people,” Harling said. “It worked out really well to be able to help [Kooper] out.”
Harling said last year, the eventraisedabout$6,000,which was delivered to Bryson Wilderbuer via cashier’s check. Wilderbuer, a co-worker of Harling’s was seriously injured when he was test-driving a vehicle for Mike’s Auto Care and was struck from behind on Highway 37 by a Missouri State Trooper responding to a call.
“I would like to see if we can get a little better than that [$6,000],” Harling said. “Last year was the first year and people didn’t know about it as much. They know in July we have one, and if we can do this one in August every year, people will remember that, too. Now that I know I’m gonna try to do it every year, It’ll also be a little easier on me because people don’t sponsor things until later in the year.”
Tickets to the event are $5 for children ages 7-12 and $10 for those 13-andup. children 6-and-under are free. The pull is a Spring River Valley Pulling Association lineup and payout, and a live auction has been donated by APAC Central. No alcoholic beverages are allowed at the event.
For more information, people may reach Harling at 417-388-0742.
