Students get behind the wheel during ESY's Touch a Truck day

Colonial School District students who attend the Extended School Year program had a chance to touch some trucks, thanks to a visit from Danella, a utility contractor based in Plymouth Meeting.

The Touch-a-Truck-style event was organized by Dr. Cait Gilmartin, Supervisor of Elementary Special Education, and Danella President Joe Spause, whose daughter attends the ESY program. Mr. Spause said he was happy to oblige when Dr. Gilmartin came to him with the idea for the event, not only for the students but for the Danella employees as well. 

"Being here brightens everybody's day. The team, everybody that we put together - you can see it. They were so excited to be here, because honestly, we all know it's about the kids, it's about the community," said Mr. Spause, whose daughter, Sadie Jo, attends the ESY program.

Vice President Al Alessandrine said the company regularly organizes Touch a Truck events all over the country. 

"This is the future, the future of America. We want to invest in the youngsters of the country and this is how we get rewarded. Because it comes back," he said. "There's nothing more rewarding than what we're seeing here right now."

The Danella employees were not the only ones excited. Students were all smiles as they climbed into truck cabs, grabbed the steering wheels, and honked horns of vehicles that were high off the ground. Children could also be seen walking through delivery vans, touching the machines, and asking questions about the different parts of the vehicles. The company brought a number of different types of utility trucks, such as a bucket truck, a digger, and a bulldozer.

"I was excited," said Bryceson Richardson, a Plymouth Elementary School third-grader, when asked about the event.

Students Gianni Dunmore and Avery McNichols, also third-graders from Plymouth, said they had a lot of fun climbing in and out of the trucks and honking the horns.

"I was surprised it was loud," said Gianni.