Trucks for kids April 25

Update: April 25, 2015: The second annual Truck Adventures For Kids benefiting Make A Wish Foundation Greater Los Angeles was held on April 25, 2015, from 9 a.m. -3 p.m., at Santa Anita Park Race Track.

Photos from 2015 event courtesy of Larry Stewart

Truck Adventures is a unique fun-filled event meant to bring families and children together in the community in which they live. Children of all ages will be able to get up close and personal with over 50+ trucks and other vehicles that they see every day on the road. Fire trucks, police cars, construction vehicles and many other vehicles will be on display for children to see, touch, explore, sit in the driver’s seat and talk to the individuals who drive these vehicles each and every day. Some of the trucks last year included the City of Arcadia Fire, Police and Public Works department vehicles, Oscar Mayer Wienermobile, Sponge Bob Car, Shakey Quakey Van and LA TransPORTer just to name a few.

Make-A-Wish grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. According to a 2011 U.S. study of wish impact, most health professionals surveyed believe a wish-come-true can have positive impacts on the health of children. Kids say wishes give them renewed strength to fight their illnesses and their parents say these experiences help strengthen the entire family. The Greater Los Angeles Chapter celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2013, having granted more than 8,300 wishes to local wish children between the ages of 2 ½-18.

Teddy Sanford of Atwater Village, grandson of Arcadia’s Larry Stewart, gets a taste of what it’s like to drive a fire truck as mother Jill Sanford looks on.

With the help of generous donors and more than 25,000 volunteers, the network of Make-A-Wish chapters grants a wish every 38 minutes somewhere in the country. It has granted more than 226,000 wishes since its inception in 1980; more than 14,000 in 2013 alone. Visit Make-A-Wish Greater Los Angeles at wishla.org to learn more.