Brothers T.J. and Weston Garrison love to look out the car window and identify different trucks.
Mail trucks, cargo trucks, trash trucks, anything that’s different from an everyday car like the one they’re usually in when the adults are running errands.
After all, they are 5 and 3 years old.
But on Saturday, they didn’t just get to see trucks; they were allowed to get an exclusive look inside of the cargo area, explore the driver’s seat and the best part of all, honk the horn. As many times as they wanted.
The pair were inside of a mail truck and couldn’t contain their excitement when pressing on the buttons and maneuvering the driver’s wheel pretending to drive.
The Santa Clarita Valley Education Foundation held its fourth annual Touch-A-Truck, a family-friendly event where kids of all ages can experience large and unique vehicles up close at Central Park in Saugus.
Firefighting engines, helicopters, police cars and construction rigs could be seen throughout the morning and early afternoon, with 3,000 people anticipated to attend, said Joe Satorhelyi, SCV Education Foundation executive director.
But the annual event doesn’t just give children a unique experience to see large vehicles up close and learn more about them. It’s also aimed to raise funds to support the nonprofit’s education-focused programs across the valley.
The SCV Education Foundation awards student scholarships and teacher grants, and provides programs such as “Read with Me” and “Bags of Books” to bridge learning gaps and ensure student success.
As Satorhelyi walked around the park and provided assistance wherever it was needed, what he enjoyed the most was seeing children’s reaction to experiencing the large vehicles and being exposed to possible careers in the future.
Everyone would like to see the youth pursue education, but it’s realistic to understand that not everyone will choose that pathway and the Touch-A-Truck can also expose children to “these cool careers,” Satorhelyi said.
“This literally could be the start of something, a passion, a career, a direction for these children,” he added.
The event also had a quiet hour, a special time where no horns, sirens or flashing lights are used, creating a more sensory-friendly and less noisy environment for children who may sometimes get overwhelmed.
Satorhelyi also wanted to thank the student volunteers who were all hands on deck very early in the morning to bring the event to fruition.
“They are a huge help to us,” he said.
As children and families walked across the field to explore whatever caught their attention, 4-year-old Drake Erwin was wearing a construction hat when he boarded a SoCalGas vehicle and began to pretend play.
“He loves trucks, so this is like a dream come true for him,” his mother Beverly Drake said, and it gives him a chance to meet police officers and firefighters, she added.
Touch-A-Truck also allowed children and the rest of the community to meet unsung heroes who are essential to everyday services like when a water pipe bursts, or mail needs to be delivered.
“I think it’s a great chance for kids to learn more about the various jobs,” said Sara Clark, mother of Wade and Weston Clark.
As they ran around looking for their next destination, the experience allowed them to also look at their father’s previous career and what it entailed, Sara said. The boy’s father was a forest firefighter, she added.
For the SCV Education Foundation, Touch-A-Truck every year is about inspiring young minds and showing the community that learning can happen anywhere.
