Matinecock District Hosts Touch-A-Truck Recruiting Event In Two Locations

On September 17, the Matinecock District (Scouts BSA) held their 2nd Touch A Truck recruiting event.  In cooperation with the Kings Park School District and School Supervisor Timothy Eagan, the event was held at the William T Rodgers Middle School. Simultaneously, working with Walt Whitman Mall, they expanded the Touch a Truck to the Huntington community.

Both communities were able to visit various police vehicles, fire trucks, a garbage truck, a street sweeper truck, buses, Military Hummers, Suffolk County Emergency Disaster vehicles, Dump trucks, and Ambulances. At each of the vehicles, the drivers of the trucks were able to discuss safety issues. At the fire truck location, the volunteer firefighters were explaining the tools they use on their truck and let the kids try on extra fireman gear, as did the police and their emergency vehicles.  The school bus and bus companies that were at the touch-a-truck event had a special bus for wheelchairs and the drivers were able to explain how that works.

Thanks to the tireless work of Hollie Garrido and Boy Scout Troop 406 (South Huntington), was this dual event able to be a success. Girl and Boy Scout Troops 539 (Kings Park) helped organize and conduct the William T Rodger Touch a Truck event. There were  also volunteers from Cub Scout Pack 539 (Kings Park), Pack 406 (Huntington/Melville), Pack 66 (South Huntington), and Pack 457 (Dix Hills) were able to help promote scouting awareness in the community.

There were over 2,000 people that attended the Walt Whitman Mall location and over 300 that attended the William T Rodger location. It was an amazing event that spread across town and was well received. The boys and girls with their parents and guardians participating came from all over from Commack, Kings Park, Huntington, Riverhead, Setauket, Ronkonkoma, Northport, Nesconset, Dix Hills, Port Jeff Station, Babylon, Massapequa, Levittown, and Smithtown areas to enjoy the trucks and learn about all the fun scouts have.

A very special thank you to all the wonderful companies, departments, and volunteers that came out to support the Suffolk County Council, Boy Scouts of America and to support the wonderful youth that makes up our communities: Suffolk County Police Department 2^nd & 4^th Precinct, SFPD Emergency Response, South Huntington School Transportation, Town of Huntington Department of Highway, Huntington Community First Aid Squad, RTI Construction Corp., HART Bus, Huntington Manor Fire Department, local veteran M. LoTurco, Kings Park Fire Department, Kings Park Highway Department, Kings Park Transportation, and California Pizza Kitchen.

For more Information about scouting, future free events for the community, and next year’s Touch a Truck, please contact Matinecock Senior District Executive Tali Powell at t (631) 924- 7000 Ext. 131 or via email at Taliesin.Powell@scouting.org.  The Matinecock District covers the Town of Huntington and the western section of the Smithtown Township.  The Cub Scout program is geared to the youth ages 5 to 10 and the Boy Scout adventure (open to both boys and girls in separate troops) is for the 11-17 year olds – no previous scouting experience is needed to join the fun!.