BEAR COUNTRY

Thomas Miller might not be from Springfield, Missouri, but his truck design is all about The Missouri State Bears

BY SONIA GUZMAN

Thomas Miller has been driving for more than 30 years, and this isn’t the first time he has chosen and designed a theme for his truck. This time, however; the theme is especially close to his heart. While Thomas might not hail from the Show Me state, the inspiration behind his Missouri State University truck design has made Missouri seem like home.

Thomas’ daughter Kenzi is a senior at MSU, and she is the inspiration behind the truck’s design. Kenzi knew immediately after a campus visit during her senior year of high school that she wanted to be a Missouri State Bear. Thomas couldn’t have been more thrilled with her decision, as his driving route and involvement with Prime’s Driver Advisory Board brings him to Springfield often.

Kenzi was followed by her best friend, Alexis, and then Alexis’ cousins, Grace and Abby, and Kenzi’s boyfriend, Blake. “I consider all of those kids to be a part of my family,” says Thomas, which is why their names are part of the truck’s design.

“One of the most fun parts of the design was surprising the kids with it,” Thomas says. On one of his regular stops through Springfield, he invited the group to breakfast and surprised them with the new design. Of course they loved it. “It was freezing that morning, but everybody braved the weather so we could get a bunch of pictures,” Thomas says.

Their hometown and Thomas’ truck design aren’t the only things the kids have in common. Kenzi and Alexis founded the Sam Biggs Memorial Bike Show & Poker Run to benefit the Sam Biggs Memorial Foundation when they were 12 years old. Founded initially to raise money for the Biggs family, whose son was diagnosed with cancer, they have now raised almost

$100,000 to help fight childhood cancer. Grace, Abby, and Blake have volunteered with the organization.

When he talks about the kids, Thomas gets overwhelmed with pride, and he says he couldn’t think of a better way to recognize them than to dedicate his truck design to them. “I wanted to pay tribute to them and let them know I’m always thinking about them,” he says.

Not only is the truck design a tribute to Thomas’ daughter, but it also helps him stay close to her. “I get lots of positive reactions on the road,” he says. “Each time I receive a positive comment, it gives me a reason to call Kenzi and tell her all about it.” That’s just another reason to keep the new design around for a while.