How to Touch A Truck

City and Township officials can earn popularity points with the voting public by hosting a "Touch a Truck" day. Children, particularly pre-schoolers love trucks, fire engines and other vehicles that perform a service. They also like police cruisers and emergency medical vehicles. So why not let them physically touch the vehicles and marvel at their size? This is a great event to host during an election year and the event is also a good public relations effort on the part of city and township administrators.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• Fire engines
• Tow trucks
• Back hoes
• Dump trucks
• 1 or 2 police cruisers
• Emergency medical vehicles
• Any other vehicles used in the city or township

1. Set a date, preferably a weekend, for the event. Also find a strategic location, such as a city or township park.
2. Instruct all department heads to have their vehicles washed, dried and polished if possible.
3. On the day of the event, have all the vehicles parked in a viewing area. This will allow the children to have a hands-on experience with the vehicles. Have all department heads on hand to answer questions the children may have.
4. Contact concessionairs to see if they would like to set up their concession stands at the event.
5. Co-ordinate activities with the local school districts and service agencies and allow them to put up tables for information and fund-raising.
6. Contact all local media with the information. Remember the who, what, why, when and where rule when giving information to the media.

Tips & Warnings

• This is a good way to meet and greet parents of the children who are also voters in your district.
• Be prepared to answer questions and field concerns that parents have about the operations of the city and township administratively.
• Have volunteer adults on hand to help the children view the vehicles but not get hurt while touching or sitting on them.