Touch Some Trucks in E.P. Saturday

Come out and touch some trucks on Saturday in East Providence. 

It’s the seventh annual East Providence Area Chamber of Commerce “Touch-A-Truck” fundraising event in its office-building parking lot at 1011 Waterman Ave. It will run from 9 am to 1 pm. 

Admission is $5 for children and adults or $20 for a family of four or more.

The event will take up the entire parking lot behind two office buildings. It’s being described by the Chamber as “bigger than ever with over 30 different vehicles from area businesses, organizations and individuals.”

The vehicles will include a World War II Army Jeep, a cement truck, a limousine, a RIPTA bus, vehicles from the East Providence Police and Fire Departments, and assorted construction vehicles. Kids will be able to get up close, touch the vehicles, pretend to drive them and toot the horns.

A blood drive for the Rhode Island Blood Center also will be held in their bloodmobile from 9 am to noon. And the Chamber Choo Choo, a trackless, colorful train will be giving free rides for children and adults.  Channel 12’s Pinpoint Weather Mobile will be on site as well.

Special visitors will include the Providence Bruins’ Samboni (10:30 am – 12:30 pm) and Paws, the Pawtucket Red Sox mascot (9:00 am – 10:30am). 

Also stopping by from 9 am to 12:30 pm will be Puffin from The Children’s Workshop, Captain Hemoglobin from the Rhode Island Blood Center, Andy the Android from Wireless Zone/Verizon Wireless, and Kurt the Bear from Tirrell Realty.

There will be games, giveaway items from local businesses, raffle drawings for bicycles donated by Benny’s, and tickets for Pawtucket Red Sox, Seekonk Speedway, Providence Bruins and Dave & Buster’s. 

Bring a canned good for the East Bay TAP-IN’s food pantry and get $1 off admission (one per person.) TAP-IN (touch a person in need) is a nonprofit organization based in Barrington that provides food, clothing and household items to the elderly, the disabled, the homeless and unemployed, disaster victims and low income families.

Tickets for Touch-A-Truck can be purchased in advance or at the door. The rain date is May 11.

Contact the East Providence Area Chamber for more information or to order tickets at 401.438.1212 or office@eastprovchamber.com. Visit the Chamber’s website for updates on Touch-A-Truck activities at www.eastprovchamber.com or its Facebook page at www.facebook.com/eastprovidenceareachamber.