By Nicole Whetsel

Back in the day, any 18-wheeler on the highway could have been Optimus Prime ready to transform and take on the Decepticons. Before that, real life construction zones were actually just ginormous Tonka playgrounds. Today, kids see a fire truck and call out “Marshall!,” who is the beloved firefighting dog from the hit show Paw Patrol. Through generations, these larger-than-life machines have pulled us out of our worst tantrums and gotten us through the longest car rides. Come experience them up close on Saturday, March 29 at Touch-a-Truck!

“Kernersville Kiwanis is thrilled to be hosting Touch-a-Truck for a fourth year. Each year, the event has grown in attendance, and we have been able to enhance it even more,” said Event Co-Chair Debra Johnson. “It is awesome that we are able to provide this to the community completely free of charge, thanks to the support of our many volunteers and wonderful sponsors!”

This marks the biggest Touch-a-Truck event yet, with over 50 vehicles spread across Forsyth Tech Swisher Center’s parking lot, which is located at 1108 Swisher Center Road in Kernersville. Bring your family and friends and explore everything from sanitation trucks and police cars to an excavator and the Red Cross’ Bloodmobile. Fill up your scrapbook as your kids honk their hearts out, turn on the sirens, and make as much noise as they want from 11am to 3pm. However, we know loud sounds can be stressful or scary for some children, so Touch-a-Truck will host a new “Sensory Friendly Hour” from 10am. to 11am. when no horns, sirens, or strobe lights will be activated, allowing sound and light-sensitive children the opportunity to explore vehicles without being startled or overwhelmed.

Kids will not only get to see bright colors and heavy equipment in action, they will also meet the fine folks who work hard every day to keep our community running as smoothly as possible. Police officers, firefighters, and vehicle operators will be onsite to educate the children on their specialized roles in Kernersville. What is it like to be a bus driver? What exactly does the Red Cross’ Disaster Relief vehicle do? How do you drive that huge 18-wheeler? They will be happy to chat and hand out some free goodies too!

After climbing in and out of vehicles and high-fiving drivers, grab a meal or light refreshments from one of the many food vendors that will be onsite. There will be treats for every taste! Who knows, Kiwanis’ mascot, Kiwi, may even be roaming the grounds in search of fun photo-ops with attendees!

PRO-TIP: Do not forget the most important part of the event! Make sure your children stop by the Kiwanis booth to pick out a free book they get to keep forever. Volunteers will be there to help them select a book that will help keep reading interesting and fun.

Kiwanis’ main mission is “Improving the world, one child, and one community at a time.” The Kernersville club aims to increase literacy rates in our neighborhoods. They have installed book vending machines in elementary schools, regularly read to classes, and handed out thousands of free books to kids during events like the Christmas Parade, Downtown Halloween, and Miss Mary’s Children’s Parade.

Touch-a-Truck, sponsored by Brightspeed, is one of the largest events of the year for Kiwanis’ book giving. Find more information at KernersvilleKiwanis.org. We hope to see your smiling faces there!