Gazette photo by Andrew Wallmeyer Benjamin Schreiber, 2, takes a turn in the driver's seat of a backhoe, one of the event's most popular vehicles on display at District 834's annual Big Truck Extravaganza, held Saturday at Stillwater Area High School.

OAK PARK HEIGHTS - For hundreds of local preschoolers, there are few events bigger than the Big Truck Extravaganza, which once a year gives them a chance to climb in, on, and around dozens of vehicles they rarely see outside of picture books.

Nearly 1,000 headed to Stillwater Area High School for the Saturday morning event, which was sponsored by the District 834 Early Childhood and Family Education (ECFE) program. Organizers said the event raised about $1,000 for the program, with 238 cars paying $5 apiece to get in.

"It's not so much of a fundraiser as a fun community event for preschoolers and their families," said Mary Scott, one of the event organizers. "Overall, I think it was a great success. We had a lot of different kinds of vehicles here, and everyone seems to be having a good time, and that's what it's all about."

For 3-and-a-half-year-old Stillwater resident Atticus Mikla, the highlight was anything that moves dirt, including a backhoe and a dump truck. This was his third time at the Big Truck Extravaganza.

"He absolutely loves trucks. His favorites are the excavator and the dump truck - anything that digs or hauls dirt," said his mother, Kimberly Mikla, as she watched him run back and forth in a nearby school bus.

"The school bus is pretty exciting, too. He knows he's going to be riding a school bus in a few years, and this is getting him acclimated," she said.

The Schreiber family - including Caleb, 8; Isaac, 6; and Benjamin, 2 - was equally enthusiastic.

"We haven't come to this before, but I'm glad we did," said Joy Schreiber, of New Richmond, Wis. "Some friends in Stillwater told us we should bring the kids over, and it's been a lot of fun."

Caleb concurred: "Yeah, it's been pretty fun. I like honking the horns and stuff," he said.

Across the parking lot, 2-and-a-half-year-old Ben Baker was taking a decidedly lower-key approach to exploring a cherry red 1949 Dodge pickup, wandering around the truck bed and occasionally peering in the cab through its rear windows.

Still, his parents Eric and Michelle Baker said their son was no less excited.

"We came last year, and it was great. And I'm sure we'll be back again next year," Michelle Baker said. "He thinks it's the best day of his life."

Her husband agreed: "He just loves trucks."

District 834 ECFE Executive Director Betty Soine said the Big Truck Extravaganza has grown to become one of the program's most popular events since it got rolling about a decade ago.

"We always have a good turnout, especially on a nice day like today," she said. "The kids just love it, and word of the event really travels - people call their friends and family members, and we get people from all over."

Misty Cameron and her 4-year-old son Luke were in town from Ohio.

"We're here visiting my cousin Mellisa and her son Joshua. Once she told us about the event, we just had to come," Cameron said.

"It's a lot of fun," Mellisa Gardener said. "The boys love trucks, so you can't get much better than this."