“Tractor Dave” Wolfsen will arrive in Ludington, Michigan, tonight in comfort—on the deck of the Lake Michigan car ferry, the S.S. Badger. After spending the summer driving a 1937 Co-Op tractor through the Eastern and Midwestern United States to raise funds and awareness for two non-profit organizations, Wolfsen will begin the final leg of his journey in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, when he boards the S.S. Badger at 3 pm, and welcome supporters and fans on arrival at the Ludington dock at 7 p.m., EDT.

Wolfsen says the end of his summer adventure is bittersweet. “I’ll be glad to be home, but I’ll always cherish this experience.” Most of all, Wolfsen says, he’ll miss the people he’s met along the way.

Wolfsen retrieved his antique tractor, which he calls a “doodlebug,” from the side of the road a few years ago, paying a farmer $50 to take it off his hands. Then Wolfsen totally rebuilt the tractor, and as he worked on it, grew a dream of driving it cross-country to raise money for people in need. When he approached the Christian Reformed World Relief Committee (CRWRC) to propose his fundraising idea, the nickname “Tractor Dave” was an instant fit.

Wolfsen’s trip has taken him 4,100 miles through 14 States and to dozens of speaking engagements, informal chats, and gatherings of all kinds—potlucks, tractor shows, and church services. In all, he has raised more than $32,000 to help CRWRC’s Disaster Response Services (DRS) in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and the Foods Resource Bank (FRB) in Western Springs, Illinois. The funds will be used to help the organizations assist North Americans who are recovering from natural disasters and address long-term food insecurity around the world.

The Press and public are welcome to join Tractor Dave at the S.S. Badger dock (701 Maritime Drive) in Ludington, Michigan, at 7 p.m. EDT tonight, August 15, 2011. At that point, Dave will turn over the wheel of the 1937 Co-Op tractor to his son, Ben, and grandsons who will drive the back roads from Ludington through Walkerville and Hesperia, and then home to Fremont, Michigan.

Members of the Press wishing to interview “Tractor Dave” Wolfsen, call cell 616-648-4308. See Dave’s progress this summer online at www.tractorrideacrossus.org or on Facebook, “Tractor Dave Crosses America.”