Trucks and tots raise funds for Turning Point
Two-and-a-half-year-old Benjamin Dahlgreen enjoys a lollypop while sitting in the turret of a National Guard hummv during a Touch-a-Truck event on Saturday, Sept. 14. Photos by Sawyer Smook-Pollitt
Max Francis, 1, is “obsessed with firetrucks,” said his grandmother. 
Joey Dagraca, 2, plays with the levers of a construction vehicle. 
A youngster looks around the cabin of a cement mixer. 
Two-and-a-half-year-old Maverick Naulu spots every child’s favorite part of a truck – the pull cord for the horn. 
Cayden Souto, 12, sits in the turret of a National Guard hummv. 
A child looks around the inside of a hummv. 
Jameson Mcpherson, 4, tries on a military helmet. 
Ziah Pina, 1, plays in the dirt held in the scoop of a construction vehicle. 
Cruz Gomes, 3, plays in a cloud of bubbles. 
Isabella Flynn, 5, sits in the drivers seat of a construction vehicle. 
Even though South Coast Towing’s Paul Teixeira was assigned to dunk tank duty ... 
... he got the last laugh and beat the heat in the water.
Two-and-a-half-year-old Benjamin Dahlgreen enjoys a lollypop while sitting in the turret of a National Guard hummv during a Touch-a-Truck event on Saturday, Sept. 14. Photos by Sawyer Smook-Pollitt
Max Francis, 1, is “obsessed with firetrucks,” said his grandmother.
Joey Dagraca, 2, plays with the levers of a construction vehicle.
A youngster looks around the cabin of a cement mixer.
Two-and-a-half-year-old Maverick Naulu spots every child’s favorite part of a truck – the pull cord for the horn.
Cayden Souto, 12, sits in the turret of a National Guard hummv.
A child looks around the inside of a hummv.
Jameson Mcpherson, 4, tries on a military helmet.
Ziah Pina, 1, plays in the dirt held in the scoop of a construction vehicle.
Cruz Gomes, 3, plays in a cloud of bubbles.
Isabella Flynn, 5, sits in the drivers seat of a construction vehicle.
Even though South Coast Towing’s Paul Teixeira was assigned to dunk tank duty ...
... he got the last laugh and beat the heat in the water.
Emergency vehicles filled the parking lot of D&J Enterprise on Saturday, Sept. 14 – but so did monster trucks, cement mixers, tow trucks and a National Guard hummv.
Those vehicles, their owners and swarms of children braved the early-fall heat for a Touch-a-Truck event to benefit Turning Point, a Wareham-based non-profit organization that helps people experiencing homelessness or near-homelessness.
According to D&J Enterprise CEO Tiffany Sergi, this event, now in its second year, is a way to give back to the community in more ways than one.
All proceeds from the event will be donated to Turning Point, said Sergi. She added that in lieu of a $1 entry fee, guests could donate a non-perishable food item to the Carver-based Shane Gives Thanks food pantry.
According to Sergi, she originally volunteered for Turning Point years ago. She said the organization’s mission “touched my heart” and “made me want to do more and be more involved to help the community.”
The preparation for this event started in March, said Sergi, who added that the “monster trucks are the hardest thing to get.”
And from monster trucks to police cars and fire trucks, there was a lot for Wareham’s youngsters to see.
Two-year-old Joey Dagraca said his favorite vehicle at Saturday’s event was the fire truck.
“I think it’s a fun community event and it brings people from surrounding towns,” said Denise Dagraca. “It’s fun for kids to get on … all the trucks they play with at home.
Joey wasn’t the only kid at the event who loved fire trucks.
Max Francis, 1, got to sit in the driver’s seat of an Onset Fire Engine. According to Max’s grandmother, he is “obsessed with fire trucks” and recently got his own fire truck bed.
Another big hit was a Massachusetts National Guard Hummv that gave kids the opportunity to sit in the driver's seat, try on military helmets and even climb up into the vehicle’s turret.
Cayden Souto, 12, used a crank to move the turret around, he said.
“I liked everything about [the turret],” said Souto, who added that this is his second time at the event.
According to Massachusetts National Guard Specialist Anthony Basa, events like Saturday’s Touch-a-Truck are “excellent” and “puts out a great message.”
“It’s fun to watch the kids crawl all over the hummv,” he said, adding that he would’ve been “100%” all over a vehicle like this when he was a kid.
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