The Community House of Moorestown will host its second annual Touch-a-Truck event on Wednesday, Aug. 19, at 2 p.m.
Last year’s event had more than 400 people in attendance, with both parents and kids excited to get outside and explore all the vehicles.
Outside of other Community House gatherings and fundraisers, the Touch-a-Truck is another way to get people together for an afternoon of free fun, said board of trustee Nick Pantle. Whether it’s police, fire or EMS, any group that wants to show off its vehicle is incorporated into the day.
“Hopefully, it’ll touch the next generation of kids and such that they always remember this as a fond memory,” Pantle said. “One hundred years is nothing to scoff at, so from a perspective of enjoying what a beautiful place the (Community House) is … It’s a testament to preserving something that’s such an amazing place right in the heart of the community, right off Main Street.”
Kids will be allowed to get behind the wheel of a vehicle and take photos with first responders. There will also be face painting, games, a chalk art zone, crafts and music.
“That’s the whole point of it,” Pantle noted of the Touch a Truck gathering. “A nonprofit is supposed to bring people together and serve the community, and that’s what we’re trying to accomplish with an event such as this.”
Pantle serves on the Community House’s building and grounds committee. He’s also the first vice president of Moorestown Lunch Rotary and serves on the YMCA Burlington County Advisory Board. He enjoys working to help preserve the building and helping people create new memories there.
“It’s a very high-end building as far as when it was developed, and in today’s age, you don’t really see that as commonly,” Pantle explained. “It’s a building that we’re trying to make sure lasts another 100 years, and that’s making sure that it’s at the center of the community.”
As of now, there is no rain date for the event.
Pantle believes there’s nothing better than seeing a kid’s eyes light up when they get a chance to climb up on a truck or get behind the wheel of a police car, and it’s also a way to get kids off their phones and other devices.
“I’m just excited to see a community come together,” he enthused. “It’s rare that you see these types of events, and it’s nice because everybody’s weekends are always packed anymore. So having something to do during the week is nice, especially when there’s no school.”
Residents can get event updates through the Community House social media.
Kids will get a behind-the-scenes look at the township’s first responder vehicles at the second annual Touch a Truck event on Aug. 19.
