On Saturday hundreds of children descended upon downtown Mansfield to take part in the 2nd annual Touch a Truck event. Modeled after a similar event in Westville, OH, Touch a Truck is a fun, family-friendly event that is free and open to the public. Children had the opportunity to not only see big trucks such as fire trucks and Hummers up close, but they got to climb inside and explore a little with the help of fire fighters, police and military personnel.
Twelve large vehicles including a fire truck, antique truck, military dump truck, a Hummer, cement mixer, working garbage truck and many more were available to visitors. Children were able to pretend to drive a fire truck, go for a spin in the turret atop the Hummer, and watch a garbage truck in action from close up.
Sr. Airman Tyler Stober was one of the three officers from the 179th Airlift Wing that helped make the day special for families. He explained that all the military vehicles on site were currently in use, including the dump truck which has the capacity to haul 20,000 tons of debris. Sr. Airman Spencer Hartings helped children go for a spin in the turret atop the humvee.
When asked about her favorite part of Touch a Truck four year old Lindsay said, “My favorite is the fire trucks; I never sat in one before.”
The fun didn’t stop with the big trucks; children had a chance to play with things their own size as well. A play area was also outfitted with child-sized vehicles they could drive including an articulating loader that could scoop up mulch in the play work site. Children could wear plastic hard hats and safety goggles while playing with miniaturized tools. The Shriners also brought three small vehicles.
Richland Academy offered creative activities. They had a dress-up station as well as an actual piano that the children were able to paint. The Richland Academy is a K-8 Charter School, but also offers performing and visual arts classes for both adults and children. Classes begin September 9.
The event was organized through a partnership between Richland Carrousel Park and Richland Academy. According to Sharon Bishop, co-director of Richland Carrousel Park, “We want to get people downtown. It’s fun, it’s safe, there are great things for people of all ages to do down here.”
