Big Rig Rally
Dear Editor: The 3-5 Preschool First Annual Big Rig Rally was a huge success despite the rain, and what an educational event it was. Those who attended were treated to seeing 25 vehicles up close. The majority of vehicles were in the touch-and-climb-on zone. Because of this, parents and grandparents were able to take photos of their children grabbing on to steering wheels, and gear shifts, and even getting rides on a few as well.
A HUGE thanks to Jerome Mahoskey, owner of Pacific Services; Mick Tisher of Tisher Construction; Marshall Albertson from Absolute Tree Care; and Randy Gluth for letting kids ride and or drive their demonstration rigs. How special that was for all those who took the opportunity to move the backhoe and the buckets, or ride up high in the cherry picker. These men gave the children a thrill and an experience they will never forget.
Children were able to ride up on a gate lift with Warren Price, see the Camel suction objects demonstrated by Nick McGraw, watch the dump truck bed go up and down with driver Shannon Tisher, get on the Coast Guard boat with Ryan Ludy, Logan Morrison and Michael Bagley, and pretend to be a bus driver like Gary Smith from Prewitt’s Enterprises. Dan Jones enjoyed letting the children get into his newly acquired 1959 red Willy’s half-ton pickup, and Megan Pasternak shared her little Zenn, a zero emissions car that makes no noise.
Thanks to the Police Department, Birch Equipment, Sitka Ready Mix, S&S Construction. Petro Marine, Mike Finn and his helpers Casey and George, Sheri Mayo, Brian Blankenship, Alicia Haseltiine and Brian Pierce for featuring their vehicles and adding to the variety for this event.
We are so grateful to the Sitka Fire Department for donating the drawing of the free ride on the new ladder truck. The winner was 11-month-old Tanner Ystad who will enjoy taking a few special people with him for a ride around town. Thanks to Eli Baugher, Jeremy Henthorn, Travis Miller and Adam Horton, who featured the fire truck when not on work-related runs.
We welcome Nick Kepler, the new Public Works director, to Sitka. He enthusiastically got involved two days after he arrived on the job. He and his crew brought cones, some safety signs, caution tape, the camel, sweeper and grader and most generously spent the entire morning logistically making sure the vehicles were in the proper area.
We appreciated UAS for letting us use the bathrooms, Sitka Sound Seafoods for the two tents we really needed on such a rainy day, and Southeast Women in Fisheries for loaning us their thermo coffee container so we could have hot coffee for our volunteers. To the Sitka School District for loaning us a megaphone and the VIP vests and to Sue Fleming for her vests, also.
Thanks to SEARHC Daycare, along with others, for letting us borrow small plastic vehicles for the little ones to ride around the area. Talk about cute!
There were many safety VIPS who need to thanked: Delta Kappa members Kari Sagel, Peggy Fedoroff, Catherine Hawk, Gina Lawson and Jan Love: new Mormon missionaries to Sitka, Sister Claspell and Hedelius, who stood under the tent and welcomed the participants with their sweet smiles, taking money and selling pink and yellow construction hats for us; Americorps Volunteer Alli Barnes for coming early and staying through cleanup, helping us get things packed up.
We certainly were grateful for the advertising done by KIFW, Raven Radio, Sitka Soup, Daily Sitka Sentinel, and everyone who put the word out through e-mails and Facebook, too.
3-5 Preschool wants to especially thank our sponsors for this event: Absolute Tree Care, Tisher Construction, S&S General Contractors, Arrowhead Transfer, A/C Lakeside, Sea Mart and Sitka Northern Sales. Your donations and support truly made a difference!
Finally, we are so grateful to all those who came to the Big Rig Rally and to the 3-5 Preschool parents, grandparents and supporters who gave so much of their time in helping to be VIPS, making baked goods, and doing all the jobs necessary to make this event successful and one we want to do again for our community.
3-5 Preschool Board
