I spent an hour and half yesterday with my kids at the third annual "Touch a Truck" hosted by the Birmingham Youth Assistance.

http://www.birminghamyouthassistance.org/TAT_flier_2010[1].pdf

I attended the first year and thought it was a great event where kids could get “hands on” with the things they love and sit in big fire trucks, police cars, tree trimming trucks, cranes, etc.  But something was missing….So I contacted the director and e-mailed a photo of one of our 6610 Geoprobes.  She asked a number of “what is that? And what does it do and why ?  All great questions that I thought would be great to answer to the masses that would attend an event like this the following year.  She quickly gave me the approval and we exhibited as one of the trucks last year.

Yesterday marked the third year with our Geoprobes second appearance with attendance steadily increasing.  In fact, a foreclosure/receiver attorney friend of mine contacted me a month ago to see if I would the event was going to be hosted again and if I would be there.  He requested info on the date as he was hosting his son’s birthday party at the event after a pizza lunch.  I enjoyed answering the questions of many parents and their kids about what we do, why and for whom.  It made realize even more than I do at my desk how little the general public knows about the environmental profession.  I would guess 1 out of 20 families had a mom or dad who remotely knew of what we do (one was even a competitor).  With in an hour there were over 100 families walking around a cul-de-sac of ~15 trucks.  The event raises money for the prevention and reduction of juvenile delinquency, child abuse and child neglect, by providing positive alternatives to children and families

What a thrill to see families and their kids lined up to take a photo in front of a Geoprobe while getting educated on our industry.  To think that young boys and girls are now thinking of being an “environmental worker” in the same light they do wanting to be a firefighter.  It was a pretty cool day.  Spread the word when you have an opportunity.