Gorgeous Millie Touch-a-Truck Benefiting Austin Children’s Shelter

Kids enjoy music at Touch-a-Truck

This guest blog post is by Kristin Shaw.

Last year, pre-preschool Gorgeous Millie brought the first Touch-a-Truck to the Austin area to benefit the Austin Children’s Shelter, with the intent to make it an annual event.  They had no idea what to expect in terms of a crowd, and hoped for 200-300 people to start.  Imagine their surprise when visitors started pouring in steadily, and an estimated 1,000+ visitors were tallied at the end of the day. This year, the event will take place on Saturday, November 3rd at Valley View Elementary School.

Community-minded co-founders JC Conklin and Laura Jacks wanted to host an event that would benefit a children’s organization and provide a fun day for children in the Austin’s area, and Touch-a-Truck was born.   This year, they’ve moved the event from Bridgepoint Elementary School to Valley View Elementary School. 

“We can’t say enough good things about Eanes ISD for allowing us to host our event at their facility, and Laura Santos-Farry and her staff have been fantastic,” said Gorgeous Millie’s JC Conklin.  “We have over 20 trucks scheduled, including vehicles from Ft. Hood, City of Austin, UPS, fire trucks, an ambulance, bus, police car, RVs, and several others.”

Soldiers from Ft. Hood participate in Touch-a-Truck

The premier sponsor for the 2012 event is Austin-based power coupon site RetailMeNot.com. They will be on hand with giveaways and games for the families in attendance.  Also planned is a petting zoo, glitter tattoo station, art tent, candy necklace-making station, bounce house, face painting, and races with Joovy Bicycoos, Tricycoos, and strollers. A raffle with over 15 different prizes will be available at the door.

Austin-based cuisine will be featured, including Hat Creek, Dock and Roll Diner, Austin’s Pizza, Hey Cupcake, Sweet Caroline’s, and Cow Tipping Creamery.

Admission is $5/person at the door (children 1 and under are free), and proceeds will go to the Austin Children’s Shelter. General admission is from 10 AM-2 PM, with a horn-free hour for sensitive ears from 2-3 PM.

Win Free Tickets

Want to win a family pack of four (4) tickets? Simply comment below! The winner will be chose at random from those who comment.

When: Saturday, November 3, 2012, 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM

Where:  Valley View Elementary School, 1201 Capital of Texas Highway, Austin, TX  78746

Cost: $5 at the door
Phone: (512) 294-2352
Facebook page: www.facebook.com/gorgeousmillietouchatruck
Event URL: www.gorgeousmillie.com/touchatruck

Gorgeous Millie, a teacher-led pre-preschool for children aged 0 to 3 and their caregivers, opened their doors in January 2011 and has enjoyed a great deal of success with their unique program.  Children attending Gorgeous Millie have the opportunity to participate in music, art, story time, sensory activities, and open play in a beautiful, relaxed environment with their mothers and caretakers.

Kristin is the mother of a sweet 2 year old boy and wife to a 6th-generation Texan, living in Austin, Texas. Loves: family, airplanes, airports, classic cars, sports, Italy, and dessert – not necessarily in that order. You can reach her via Twitter @AustinKVS or via her blog,TwoCannoli.com.

Slider photo via Flickr CC, courtesy of Matt Kowalczyk.