Special to the Telegraph
The Bradford County Fairgrounds rumbled with excitement on Saturday, May 10, as families gathered for the annual Touch A Truck event, a hands-on experience that offered kids a chance to climb, explore, and even honk the horns of some of the county’s largest vehicles.
Held from 9 a.m. to noon, the free community event featured a diverse array of large vehicles and equipment, including big rigs, construction equipment, specialty rides, and public safety vehicles.
The event was made possible through the efforts of the Kiwanis Club of Starke and brought together a strong lineup of participants: the City of Starke, Clay Electric, Barry Carlton Construction, North Florida Technical College Truck Driving School, the Bradford County Sheriff’s Office, and Bradford County Animal Services.
A Special Hour
But more than just a display of impressive machines, Touch A Truck served a deeper purpose.
The event began with a quiet hour from 9–10 a.m., dedicated to children with special needs who may be sensitive to loud noises and flashing lights. This inclusive approach reflects the origins of Touch A Truck events nationwide, which were initially designed with these children in mind.
“The initial Touch A Truck idea was targeting children with special needs and Autism because normally in a public venue, they don’t usually get the opportunity because of the sound, because of the lights, and all of that. It’s just very intense for them,” explained Michael Heeder, representative organizer from the Kiwanis Club of Starke.
Heeder emphasized the importance of easing children into the experience: “We take steps to ensure that we start off easing them into it, and then we will give them as much or as little as they want.”
The event encouraged children to take the lead.
“If they want to blow the sirens,” the event organizer added, “by golly, we’re going to blow the sirens. If they want to see the lights, we can let them see the lights. We let the kids dictate the event, and that allows us to get the biggest impact for the kids.”
Car Seat Checks and Family Additions
This year’s event also served as an educational opportunity and resource for the community. The sheriff’s office was on hand to provide car seat safety checks, ensuring families had their children’s seats properly installed.
At the same time, Animal Services showcased adoptable dogs, turning the day into a mini pet adopt-a-thon.
“This is a great opportunity for the family to come out and have a good time,” Heeder said. “As people come and go, they’re getting an opportunity to see equipment up close and personal that you would never have an opportunity to see outside of a Touch A Truck event, whether it’s electrical linemen’s trucks, whether it’s construction equipment, excavators, fire engines, different things like that.”
Sparking Future Career Fascinations
But the benefits go beyond fun and fascination. Heeder noted that the event sometimes sparks interest in future careers.
“Surprisingly, we get a lot of inquiries and there is in certain situations where children’s interests are peaked whether it’s a fire engine or a utility truck or something like that and that leads to advancing to educational programs in high school or potentially an apprenticeship whether that be electrical services or the fire department or something like that.”
This year marked a continued revival of the event after a hiatus during the pandemic.
“Our first major Touch A Truck was in 2019. It was a huge event with the kids,” Heeder recalled. “After COVID, things slowed down, so we tried to reintroduce it into the community, and for the most part, we’re having a lot of success with that.”
Bridging The Gap
The event fills an important gap in local youth activities, according to Heeder.
“Bradford County and Starke, historically being smaller rural communities, don’t have the luxury of large events for the youth that you see in Jacksonville, Gainesville, Orlando, Ocala, Lake City–places like that. So, we’re always trying to come up with different options, different ideas that would be for the community.”
He added, “The Touch A Truck has always been an exciting event for kids. You see them all over the country, and there’s always a big draw for it. We wanted to bring the Touch A Truck to Starke.”
As the trucks rolled out and the event wrapped up just after noon, Heeder looked ahead with hope and ambition.
“We are excited to be able to put together events, and this is just the beginning of what we hope will be a lot of programs to come.”
