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By Jeanna Baxter White

Word Master Media Group

Searching for some family fun?

The quest ends here with Cognition’s Carnival and Touch-A-Truck event on Saturday, Sept. 30 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the heart of Downtown Mocksville.

“This event offers families an incredible chance to experience some of the fun and engaging activities Cognition has in store throughout the year,” said Becca White, Cognition’s education center manager.

“We are proud to announce that this year’s Touch-A-Truck will be in partnership with Nickelodeon and the Association of Children’s Museum’s Worldwide Day of Play.  Our World: Worldwide Day of Play is part of Nickelodeon’s Our World global initiative to inspire kids and provide them with tools to activate their individual and collective agency.

“We are thrilled to be a part of this day as we are strong believers in the power of play for people of all ages.”

The lush green lawn will be transformed into a “Midway” with fair-themed games and contests. There will be a range of other family-friendly delights like face painting, enchanting fairy hair, and music. There will be food trucks with snacks and lunch available for purchase.

Prepare for a hands-on, up-close encounter with a wide array of vehicles.

“Touch-A-Truck promises a one-of-a-kind opportunity for kids of all ages to explore a multitude of vehicles, including public service, emergency, utility, transportation, recreational, farm, construction, and other awe-inspiring trucks – all gathered in one convenient location,” she said.

The Touch-A-Truck showcase will unfold across the street in the town hall parking lot and along Salisbury Street.

“Touch-A-Truck has been a powerful fundraiser for Cognition in the past and a great family-friendly event for the community. We are so excited to see the impact of our event reach even further this year as we partner with Nickelodeon and ACM for the Worldwide Day of Play,” White said.

At noon, the Leadership Davie Class of  2023 will present Davie County EMS with Pedi-Mate pediatric transport straps for each of its trucks to ensure that children can be safely transported to the hospital.

Each year, Leadership Davie class members raise money for a community service project. The idea for this year’s project came from Christina Myers-Cassidy after a family member was involved in a serious accident.

“I started wondering what our EMS and rescue personnel might need that they didn’t have. I contacted Davie County EMS Director Joseph Ashburn and found out about the need for pediatric restraints, so that’s what we have put the focus on for our community project.”

Ashburn is grateful for the donation.

“Instead of having a child in a mother’s arms for transport, we can actually have them secured to the stretchers and let the stretchers do what they’re designed to do in case of a motor vehicle accident. This will make transporting children a lot safer.”

Leadership Davie will also be hosting a car seat safety booth. Representatives from Davie EMS, the Mocksville Fire Department, and the Davie Sheriff’s Office will be onsite to assist with proper child restraint installation and to answer questions. Attendees are invited to stop by the booth for a prize and to see how the Pedi-Mate pediatric transport straps work.

Cognition Carnival and Touch-a-Truck is free for the family with a suggested donation of $5 per person to support Cognition.

Cognition is at 119 N. Salisbury St., next to the Davie Community Foundation in Mocksville. The museum offers interactive exhibits for ages 10 and under and a hands-on Makerspace for crafting, tinkering, and creating for all ages. Admission is $5 per person for the upstairs exhibit area, with separate admission for the Makerspace.

Annual memberships start at $100 (one adult, one child).

Follow Cognition on Facebook and Instagram for additional events and updates. Visit www.Cognitiondavie.org, email info@Cognitiondavie.org or call (336) 753-1046.