Red Deerians were invited to see trucks, tractors and large equipment up close at the annual Touch-A-Truck event.
The eighth edition of the family-friendly event was held in Westerner Park's north parking lot. In addition to seeing and sitting inside these vehicles, attendees were able to interact with RCMP officers, EMS first responders, firefighters and representatives from other industries.
"We have lots of companies coming out this year. There are about 80 different companies that have contributed to helping make the event successful this year," said Denise Rambow, programs and services co-ordinator at the Central Alberta Crime Prevention Centre.
"We've grown a lot in the last three years, since moving to Westerner Park. It's growing every year, which is exciting. ... I'm even more excited to see us continue growing in the future. Next year is our ninth year and then we can celebrate our 10th year, which is a special milestone. We did have to stop for a couple years due to COVID, so this would have originally been our 10th year."
Prior to moving to Westerner Park, the event was held at CrossRoads Church in Red Deer County.
Last year's event was attended by 4,500 people — Rambow estimated that this year's event will have a similar turnout.
"This is an event for the community. It's a space where local businesses can come out and talk to the community. It's a chance for people who get to see different vehicles that you wouldn't generally get a chance to see up close," she said.
"The families love being able to interact with the people that work with the vehicles, ask them questions and learn more about what they do."
Touch-A-Truck is the Central Alberta Crime Prevention Centre's largest fundraiser.
"This is a very important fundraising event for us," Rambow explained.
"These funds will help us with initiatives in the community, such as graffiti cleaning during the summer. It also helps us present fraud and scam presentations, and crime prevention presentations throughout the community."
For more information on the Central Alberta Crime Prevention Centre, visit www.cacpc.ca.
