Truck rides fund new trampoline

Pupils of the Sommerville Centre Stepping Stones Pre-School are now bouncing around on a brand new, safe, enclosed trampoline thanks to proceeds from the recent successful Wanganui "Ride in a Truck" Day.
The fully integrated mainstreamed pre-school yesterday received $934 from Wanganui Road Transport Association chairman Chris Purcell.
To celebrate the occasion Chris Purcell and fellow Wanganui transport member Darrell Hoskin, accompanied by Sommerville Centre manager Gavin Ander, tried out the trampoline along with two three-year-old pre-school pupils.
Mr Purcell thanked the public of Wanganui for supporting the truck ride.
At stages there were 20 fully loaded huge truck-and-trailer units, ranging from logging trucks to a car transporter, refrigerated truck and general cargo trucks, traveling around the 5km route.
Some of the trucks made more than a dozen trips with around 2000km covered during the five-hour promotion.
Passengers were asked to donate a gold coin with all proceeds going to Stepping Stones.
Mr Purcell rated the day "a great success with a ton of support from the public of Wanganui."
He said it was a rare opportunity for the general public to have a ride in a big rig and there were a myriad of questions from excited young and old passengers for the truck drivers to answer.
The truck rides not only gave people the chance to see at first hand the skills needed to drive the big trucks but also to support a worthy cause.