A world of vehicles awaits at Kidron Touch-A-Truck event
Kidron Mennonite Church's free community Touch-A-Truck will present dozens of trucks, machines and other equipment that should make for an entertaining and free day of family fun, especially for the youngsters.
There is a wonderful connection between children and big equipment and trucks. The contrast of a tiny child next to a large piece of excavating equipment or a fire truck is genuinely monumental, which is why young kids are drawn to trucks and machines.
On June 10 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Kidron Mennonite Church will host a new community event called Touch-A-Truck, which will present dozens of trucks, machines and other equipment that should make for an entertaining and free day of family fun, especially for the youngsters.
“We wanted to create a community outreach event that would be inviting to families and especially to families with small children,” committee member Mary Wiebe said. “We invite everyone to come out and enjoy a relaxing afternoon.”
The event was the creation of Kidron Mennonite Church member Emily Sullivan, who grew up around heavy machinery and vehicles because her father owned General Rent-All in Massillon.
“It’s really neat to see our church community get involved and create something special for the entire area,” Wiebe said. “Emily has taken the lead role, and we have numerous other volunteers who will make sure the day runs along smoothly.”
Sullivan took what she was familiar with and grew it into a massive event that will feature a lengthy list of vehicles. Included in the lineup will be a tractor combine, firetruck, EMT vehicles, school bus, excavator, police car, steam roller, dump truck, snow plow, road grader, recycling truck, motorcycles, semi tractor trailers, utility repair trucks, a tow truck, a skid steer, a track hoe, a front end loader, a grain truck, a chicken tractor, a crane, a bucket truck, a recreational vehicle, a bulldozer, a cement truck, an oil truck and others.
“If your child or grandchild loves trucks and machinery, they’ll want to be at this event,” Wiebe said. "Emily has worked hard to connect with people and businesses that are providing a huge array of vehicles that the kids will love to see."
The Chick-fil-A food truck will be there, along with free popcorn and cotton candy. There will be more than 40 vehicles and pieces of equipment ranging from tractors to fire trucks, dump trucks and excavators.
Kids and adults will be able to touch, explore and take photos with vehicles they usually only see on the road or working on sites and in fields. Families also can take a ride on a small tractor with mini wagons around the church.
There will be a grand prize of a toy excavator and dump truck kids can sign up to win. In addition, there will be people handing out child-size construction hats to kids with the church mission statement of “Living and Building the Kingdom of God.”
“We hope that Touch-A-Truck is a fun kickoff to summer,” Kidron Mennonite Pastor Carl Wiebe said.
Mary Wiebe said the day is designed as both a ministry and a community-building activity that brings people together to fellowship and build relationships, but the trucks and equipment will certainly be the talk of the town.
Parking for the event will be available at the church and across the road at Central Christian School.
Kidron Mennonite is located at 3987 Kidron Road in Kidron.