Get ready to turn on sirens, honk horns and give the Cat in the Hat a high five at Brown County’s fourth Touch-A-Truck event Saturday June 24 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Brown County Music Center parking lot in Nashville.
At this free, family-friendly event hosted by the Brown County Weekend Backpacks, everyone can see, touch, and explore their favorite big trucks and learn what they do, how they work and how they help the Brown County community. From 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. is “quiet hour,” where big motors, sirens, horns and other loud noises will not be permitted, so anyone sensitive to loud noises can enjoy the event. Should inclement weather prevent the program from proceeding, the event will be held on June 25.
“This event is a fundraiser for the Brown County Weekend Backpacks, who provide weekend food for children in our community so they can come to school ready to learn on Monday. Our goal is keeping hungry children fed with nutritious food all weekend long.” said Jan Swigert, Brown County Weekend Backpacks president. Generous sponsors help make sure funds are available to purchase food for the weekend bags.
Admission is free because organizers did not want a charge to keep families from attending, but donations will be accepted, with all proceeds going to buy food to send home with children in the Weekend Backpacks program.
This year’s event is presented by Duke Energy and SCI REMC. “Food insecurity is an issue in many, if not all, communities,” said Duke Energy government and community relations manager Liz Irwin. “Duke Energy is proud to support the efforts of Brown County Weekend Backpacks to address this with students.”
Other sponsors include Brown County Inn, Brown-Meadows Properties, Tim & Debbie Kelley, People’s State Bank, and the Thompson’s as platinum sponsors; C&C Equipment, Centra
Credit Union, Fifth Third Bank, Good Life Advisors, Deborah Herring, Sean Sandgren & Danielle Witts, Linda & Bill Todd as gold sponsors; Baird, Bender Lumber, RE/MAX Team, and Michael Chamblee Architects silver sponsors; and Al’s Garage, Dawn Aronoff, John & June Dever, Keyed IN Property Mgt., Jeff Kline, Milestone Construction and Nashville Quick Clean as bronze sponsors. Plus, Rafters Food and Spirits is donating breakfast, Big Woods is donating a pizza lunch and Centra Credit Union is donating water for our volunteers and the Brown County Music Center has been an exceptional partner and gracious host. Dr. Steven Junken donated 300 toothbrushes and toothpaste for the children.
“We are so grateful for the support of our event sponsors and the volunteers donating their Saturday to make this a fabulous event,” said Debbie Kelley, Brown County Weekend Backpacks board member and event organizer. “We have fifty vehicles and a hundred volunteers at the event plus twenty-eight financial sponsors. Without their support, this event would not be possible. We appreciate all they do for Brown County.”
Among the vehicles organizers expect at the event are an ambulance, bucket trucks, dump trucks, fire trucks, tractors, motorcycle, military truck, concrete mixer, school bus, semis, police and sheriff’s vehicles, Jeeps, and a Porsche sports car. New to the event this year is a NASCAR stock car, 1930’s clown car, backhoe, giant excavator, splicing truck, tow truck, and a
2021 Corvette Stingray 3LT Z51 convertible. All vehicles will be open to explore.
Kelley said none of the people, businesses and organizations are being paid for bringing the vehicles to the event, and all expenses are covered by event sponsors.
“SCI REMC’s Operation RoundUp is proud to support the efforts of the Brown County Weekend Backpack Program. Through this program and the work of volunteers in the community, they
are reaching students in need and providing nutritious weekend meals,” said Tammy Haenlein, VP of Member Service with SCI REMC.
WEEKEND BACKPACK PROGRAM
Brown County Weekend Backpacks is a community-led program 501(c)(3), whose goal is keeping hungry children fed with nutritious food all weekend long.
This is an all-volunteer nonprofit that filled 4,800 bags of food in this past school year. More than 14,000 meals. BCWB depends on this fundraiser to help offset the cost of food.
Board members include: Jan Swigert, president; Sally Sanders, vice chair; Mark Lindenlaub, treasurer; Gloria Berryman, secretary; Teresa Brown, Adeana Colvin, Wendi Gore, Sandy
Higgins, Debbie Kelley, Donna Niednagel, Yvonne Oliger, Jennifer Richardson, and Linda Todd.
Website: https://www.bcweekendbackpacks.org/
BROWN COUNTY TOUCH-A-TRUCK
What: 50 trucks and other unusual vehicles will be on display and open to explore.
When: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. June 24. Rain date is June 25.
Where: Brown County Music Center parking lot.
Who: Presented by Duke Energy and SCI REMC.
Why: To get kids familiar with different vehicles, public servants, and occupations. Also, to raise funds for the Brown County Weekend Backpacks program, which provides free food to children in need over weekends.
Cost: Free. Donations to support the Weekend Backpacks mission are welcome.
Website: https://www.browncountytouchatruck.com/
Event details:
June 24, 10am to 1pm (10am-11am quiet hour), rain date June 25
Event is FREE, although donations are appreciated
