Cape Coral's first Touch A Truck is Saturday

Cape Coral's first Touch a Truck to benefit the National Fragile X Foundation fulfills many children's dreams: Being able to climb all over dump trucks, fire trucks, police cars, school buses and a monster truck and maybe honk a horn or flip the siren.

The free event is Saturday at Cape Coral Veterans Museum and is sponsored by the South Cape Entertainment and Hospitality Associations and the museum to benefit the National Fragile X Foundation.

Fragile X Syndrome is the most common inherited cause of autism and intellectual disabilities and is connected to one gene that fails to produce a protein vital for brain development.

There will be a quiet hour from 9 to 10 a.m. specifically for children who are sensitive to sound.

"This is very geared toward special needs kids," said organizer Fran Marsino, whose grandson Ethan Hunter Leighty, inspired the event, adding for the first hour, there is no horn-honking or entertainment. "Autistic kids, Fragile X kids can't handle the noise of the horns. It's a confusing thing for them."

Ethan, 3, has Fragile X and has attended other Touch A Trucks. His joy at exploring them prompted Marsino and her husband, Steve, to suggest the event.

The event also will have a "quiet booth where they can go in and decompress a little bit, then maybe come back and join the fun," she said.

Marsino said the Entertainment/Hospitality association was looking for a family-friendly event to add to its retinue and this fit the bill.

The day includes games, face painting, crafts and prizes, as well as vendors.

Students in Trafalger Middle School's Builders Club are operating the games, and Steve Marsino built a duck pond.

Fran Marsino said they just got word Wednesday morning that the Cape Coral Police Department was bringing its SWAT truck, a police cruiser, a marine boat, jet ski and bicycles.

In addition, Gordon Foods is bringing refrigerator truck, ABC Pest is bringing an antique firetruck, Jaimes Towing is bringing its monster truck, Cape Coral Fire Department is taking its gator truck and a fire truck, Truly Nolen is bringing one of its mouse cars and Faith Presbyterian will include a bus from its day care.

Cape Coral Public Works will bring its back hoe, a dump truck and a mud truck, while the city's utility department is bringing its vac truck, which — with a little imagination and a bit of squinting — resembles a big blue elephant.

The event is free, but Marsino said there will be buckets throughout the grounds for donations to the Fragile X Foundation.

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TOUCH A TRUCK

• What: The free event has all kinds of big rigs and trucks for people, particularly children, to explore. The day is sponsored by the South Cape Entertainment and Hospitality Associations and the Cape Coral Veterans Museum to benefit the National Fragile X Foundation.

• When: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday; 9 to 10 a.m. is a quiet hour for special needs kids sensitive to sound.

• Where: Cape Coral Veterans Museum parking lot, 4820 Leonard St.

• Cost: Free to attend, but there are donation buckets to benefit the national Fragile X Foundation.