From Dreams to Hope: Why Touch-a-Truck Matters to Us
- Jennifer Rannazzisi
- Sep 10
- 4 min read
By: Jennifer Rannazzisi
At If You Can Dream It Travel, we spend our days helping families create magical memories across the globe. We believe wholeheartedly in the power of joy, laughter, and dreaming big. Every vacation we plan, every adventure we craft, is built on the foundation that life’s most precious moments happen when families come together to explore, discover, and bond.
But we also know that life sometimes brings challenges no family should ever have to face—especially when those challenges involve a child fighting for their health, their future, and their dreams.
That’s why hosting our upcoming Touch-a-Truck event means so much more to us than just organizing another community gathering.
A Day of Wonder and Connection
Yes, October 4th is going to be an absolutely magical day. Picture this: children’s eyes lighting up with pure excitement as they climb into massive fire trucks, their small hands gripping steering wheels they’ve only imagined holding. Listen to the squeals of delight as they honk the horn of a towering dump truck, the sound echoing across the East Freehold Show Grounds. Watch as they explore construction equipment, garbage trucks, ambulances, and maybe even a few surprise vehicles, getting up close with the big machines they’ve always wondered about from their car windows.
Families will create new traditions, siblings will laugh together, friends will make memories, and parents will capture those irreplaceable moments when childhood wonder takes center stage. There’s something truly special about seeing a child’s imagination come to life, and Touch-a-Truck delivers that magic in the most authentic way possible.
But behind every honk, every giggle, every picture taken, and every memory made, there’s something much bigger happening—something that connects directly to our hearts and our mission as a company that believes in the transformative power of bringing families together.
Our Promise: 100% for Hope
Here’s what makes this event extraordinary: Every single penny raised from Touch-a-Truck—100% of all proceeds—will go directly to the Ashley Lauren Foundation, a charity that has captured our hearts completely.
The Ashley Lauren Foundation is doing something incredible in our community and beyond. This remarkable organization steps into the lives of families who are navigating something no parent should ever have to face: caring for a child battling cancer. When a family receives a childhood cancer diagnosis, their entire world shifts. Suddenly, hospital stays replace family vacations. Medical bills pile up where vacation funds once sat. Simple joys become distant memories as treatments, appointments, and uncertainty take over.
That’s where the Ashley Lauren Foundation becomes a beacon of light in the darkness. They provide crucial financial assistance to help families manage the overwhelming costs that insurance doesn’t cover. They offer emotional support through programs designed to remind both children and parents that they are seen, valued, and never alone in their fight. Most importantly, they create opportunities for joy—special experiences, trips, and moments of normalcy that help families remember what they’re fighting for.
Why This Matters to Us
As a travel agency, we understand better than most how precious and fleeting time together truly is. We’ve witnessed countless families return from vacations transformed—closer, happier, more connected. We’ve seen how shared adventures become the stories families tell for generations. We know that vacations aren’t just trips; they’re investments in relationships, bridges between hearts, and foundations for lifelong bonds.
The Ashley Lauren Foundation is helping families hold onto those connections when life becomes overwhelming. They’re ensuring that a cancer diagnosis doesn’t steal every opportunity for joy, every chance for normalcy, every moment of togetherness. They’re creating space for families to still dream, still hope, and still experience the magic that comes from being together.
Supporting the Ashley Lauren Foundation feels like a natural extension of everything we believe in at If You Can Dream It Travel. We help families dream about their next adventure; this foundation helps families dream about their futures. We create magical moments; they preserve hope during the most challenging times. We bring families together through travel; they keep families strong through crisis.
Your Impact Goes Beyond the Day
When you join us at Touch-a-Truck on October 4th, you’re doing something beautiful and powerful. Yes, you’re giving your child an unforgettable day filled with excitement, discovery, and pure joy. You’re creating memories that will spark conversations for months to come. You’re supporting local community spirit and connecting with neighbors who share your values.
But you’re also doing something even more meaningful: you’re extending a lifeline to another child, another family, who desperately needs to know that their community cares. Your presence, your participation, your generosity—it all translates into tangible support for families facing unimaginable challenges.
Every dollar raised will help cover medical expenses that insurance won’t touch. Every contribution will fund programs that bring smiles to children who need reasons to keep fighting. Every act of support will remind a family that they are not alone in their battle.
Join Us in Dreaming Bigger
We’ve always believed that dreams have the power to change lives. Usually, we help make travel dreams come true. But on October 4th, we’re dreaming bigger—we’re dreaming of a world where no family faces childhood cancer without support, where every child battling illness knows they are surrounded by love, and where our community comes together to lift up those who need it most.
We are incredibly proud to bring our community together for this cause, and we would be honored to see you and your family there. Come for the fun, stay for the purpose, and leave knowing you’ve made a real difference in the lives of children and families who need it most.
Event Details:
📍 East Freehold Show Grounds, NJ
📅 Saturday, October 4th (raindate October 5th)
🎯 100% of proceeds benefit the Ashley Lauren Foundation
From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for helping us dream bigger—not just about vacations and adventures, but about hope, healing, and the incredible power of community support. Together, we can create magic that extends far beyond a single day, touching lives and changing futures for families when they need it most.
We can’t wait to see you there!
Comments