HUNTINGTON STATION, NY – If you live near the Walt Whitman Shops in Huntington Station, you may have heard quite a commotion on Saturday, September 20. The sounds of machinery, sirens, horns, bells, music, jingles, and cheering was music to the ears of the hundreds of children and families who spent their afternoon at Touch a Truck, hosted by the Suffolk County Council of Scouting America (formerly known as Boy Scouts of America).
This free event welcomed people of all ages to come by and get up-close-and-personal to all different kinds of trucks and meet the people who operate them. From sanitation trucks, ESU BearCats, dump trucks and fire engines, to Bobcats, ambulances, highway patrol, and bucket trucks, this family-friendly event had dozens of vehicles to explore, and people there to educate all about the tasks these vehicles perform and the importance of their role in a community. For our neighbors who prefer a quieter experience, a sensory-friendly hour was held at the start of the event, avoiding honking of horns, sirens, and loud noises. In addition to the trucks and music, the event also featured sales from young entrepreneurs including handmade Wildcat bracelets and organic hot sauce!
Scouting America’s Matinecock District – Our Local District!
When asked about the Scout troops in the Town of Huntington, Taliesin Powell, Senior District Executive at Scouting America Suffolk County Council, shared “They are by far one of the best units that we have. They come with the thunder, there’s a lot of them, and they constantly helping out the community”. He went on to inform us that an average Eagle Scout project is 286 hours and with an average of about 90 Eagle Scouts per year in our district, the broader Suffolk County Council provides about 1.2 million hours of community service.
“They do tons of food donations, clothing donations throughout the year so it’s a great organization to get your kids involved in”, said Hollie Garrido, a Life Scout Troop #34 Parent. “It teaches them community, giving back, and the importance of it”.
Stuff the Truck
Sponsored by Stop & Shop, this event collected food for local pantries to help struggling families in our community. Last year’s event collected 1,198 lbs, and with a 2025 event goal of 2,000 lbs of donations, all collected food and monetary donations benefit the Walt Whitman High School Food Pantry and other surrounding pantries in the community. That goal was surpassed, with a total of 2,325 lbs of food and $500 in monetary contributions collected at the event. Donations continue to be gratefully accepted at sccbsa.org/donate. Collected funds will be spent at Stop & Shop to keep filling pantries.
Photography by Megan and Hollie Wuestman-Garrido, Live Videography by June Margolin, Reel Videography and Editing by Megan. Copyright 2025 – All rights reserved.
