In great honor of National Armed Forces Day, here at St. Petersburg College Allstate Campus we held our second annual “Touch-a-Truck” event. Our very own family-friendly affair ended up being a huge success for the community thanks to over 650 participants. Which is actually more than double the number of attendees from the previous year. We would also like to give a special thanks to both military and law enforcement service members who volunteered this past Saturday. They not only entertained, but most importantly educated hundreds of children, teens, and parents about their profound careers.

During the event, participants had their photo taken with a military service person or veteran, a law enforcement officer or a first responder. This was their chance to take a picture with a hero and share a memorable moment with a person of great courage and noble qualities. To make things even more exciting, everyone were also given the opportunity to see and touch a variety of trucks and vehicles, while learning about their functions. We had U.S Army trucks, a Fire and Rescue truck, a Police K-9 Unit cruiser, and a helicopter which was probably everyone’s favorite.

Our goal for the event was to give our community a fun and affordable day that also served as a dual purpose. One being, educating others about the college itself including our scholarships, degrees and special programs. Then two, paving the way for them to get involved in public safety careers as we too pay tribute to the men and women who serve the United States’ armed forces.

Several community partners contributed to our success and provided us with games, music, food and even a rock-climbing wall. With everyone’s support and helping hands this event has been has been our biggest thus far. Over the years we hope to continue such great achievements by making Touch-a-Truck bigger and better. While not forgetting to keep SPC’s main goal in mind, which is offering opportunities to explore careers that impact our community.