Touch-a-Truck event raises nearly $8k for Special Olympics Alberta Summer Games 2025

“We had things like a school bus and a city bus and then other municipal vehicles on site,” Kerkhof says. “We had a crane, we had a commander out there. And then we connected with GSL, so we had a garbage truck out there, and then emergency response so AHS, the RCMP and Grande Prairie Police Service were all on site too.”

(Photo Credit: Lisa Kerkhof)

Kerkhof says the event exceeded their expectations for the turnout.

“They could climb in the driver’s seat of them, they could climb aboard some of them, get in the operator’s seats, turn on the sirens, use the horns, all that kind of fun stuff,” she says. “It was super well intended, we opened at 10;00 a.m. and we had people come in and lining up right away. And we had steady line ups at all the vehicles for the full four hours.”

(Photo Credit: Lisa Kerkhof)

She says around $8,000 was raised for the event, with the funds going towards hosting the athletes when they stay in Grande Prairie for the games next July.

“We expect about 1400 athletes in the City, participating in 10 different sports over two days,” she says. “All of the money raised will go into hosting duties. All the athletes are staying in hotels so we’re paying accommodations, we’re paying for different meals for them, there’s an athlete banquet in there, and we’re also hosting the sports as well.”

Kerkhof says more fundraiser events for the game are planned in 2025.

(Photo Credit: Lisa Kerkhof)

by Nathaniel Leigh

Touch-a-Truck event raises nearly $8k for Special Olympics Alberta Summer Games 2025

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