Annual event draws families to elementary school

By KAITLYN ALANIS

Staff writer

When Easton Jost and Canon Schafer grow up, they want to be just like their dads. Easton hopes to be a farmer, and Canon wants to be a driver who operates big, heavy equipment.

Easton, a first grader at Hillsboro Elementary School, and Cannon, a pre-schooler at Kid’s Connection, both really, really love big trucks. And tractors. And cars.

While they may not know each other, their mutual love for trucks was the reason their families had both made it a priority to attend the 13th annual Big Truck Night on Sept. 21 at Hillsboro Elementary School.

Big Truck Night was made complete with vehicles including combines and tractors, a boom truck, an ambulance and fire truck, semi trucks, and a cement truck.

Easton said he’s attended the annual event many, many times.

“I just like it because there are all these trucks that are technical and ‘off-roady,’ and they can even go fast,” Easton said. “I know because my dad is a farmer.”  

The event, sponsored by Marion County Early Childhood Task Force, also included truck-related activities include a ring toss on big, orange construction cones, tractor-sized tires to climb on, and a collection of toy-trucks to play with.

Jost enjoyed climbing on the tires the most, but Canon enjoyed tossing rings on the construction cones. He hardly ever missed.

“I like it,” he said with a smile on his face after he tossed a green ring — the same color as his planned John Deere t-shirt — on the cone. “Yay!”