Dozer Day digs into new territory

• What: Dozer Day, where kids get to ride and drive heavy construction equipment, listen to music and dig for diamonds, along with other activities.

• Where: Clark County Fairgrounds, 17402 N.E. Delfel Road.

• When: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

• Cost: At the gate, $11 for children ages 2-12 and seniors 60 and older, $13 for adults, and free for kids younger than 2. Parking is $6, cash only. Most events are free with admission. ATMs available inside the gate.

• Information: dozerday.org

Much like the theme of its popular event, Dozer Day continues to build.

The event, put on by The Nutter Foundation, a charitable arm of construction contractor Nutter Corp., lets kids ride dump trucks, shows them how to run construction equipment and provides a host of fun learning activities.

“We just continue to grow,” said Renee Nutter, a spokeswoman for the foundation. “This will also be our second year at the (Clark County) fairgrounds, because we outgrew our old site in Camas (the rock quarry on 192nd Avenue).”

Dozer Day, which actually spans two days, draws about 20,000 people each year — including a few who come from out of state, Nutter said.

“It’s neat because we have people who send us emails to confirm, because they’re flying in specifically for this event,” Nutter said. “Not that it’s a lot of them, but it shows how popular Dozer Day has become.”

Earlier this year, organizers introduced a new Dozer Day event in Yakima, and next year Nutter said her group plans to introduce a third event in Seattle.

“We’re all about Washington right now, but it’s possible we could expand into other states eventually,” she said.

The original event in Clark County has grown, as well, with new activities including dance music, laser tag, playhouses, a Lego building station and several groups sponsoring booths to teach older kids about career options in construction and other fields.

“The thing about Dozer Day is that one kid gets to go in one piece of construction equipment at a time, whereas other events, there are often 10 or 20 kids in the equipment at the same time,” Nutter said.

Younger kids are supervised, but kids 12 and older will get to hop into the driver’s seat on their own as part of the event’s expanding options for teens.

“Waste Connections will also be here to talk about jobs,” Nutter said. “They’re a really great company.”

About 900 volunteers run the event each year, and The Nutter Foundation has added a new option that compensates junior volunteer groups by donating to a charity of their choice.

“We have set up a way for nonprofits to be guaranteed funds if they come out and volunteer at Dozer Day,” Nutter said. “We feel this is a win for all involved as it teaches youth about giving back to their community, and in return we issue a check to the charity that they represent.”

That program is full, but will return next year. Those interested in other volunteer activities can email volunteervancouver@DozerDay.org.

The Nutter Foundation has been running Dozer Day for the past eight years. Before that, the event was run by the Parks Foundation of Clark County, but it ran out of money to fund it, so Nutter took over.

The event collects about $100,000 each year, which the foundation distributes as grants for children’s groups. The grants are small, capping out at about $5,000, and pay for things such as playground equipment, toys and parks in Clark County.

“There’s a lot of needs in our community, and we’re trying to address those needs,” Nutter said.

Nutter was founded by the late Ted Nutter and his son, Jerry, who is Renee Nutter’s husband. Jerry runs the company, while Renee runs the foundation, she said.

Next year, the event will have several activities designed for kids with mobility issues and disabilities, which is something Dozer Day provides on alternating years, Nutter said.

“We just have some really good things going on,” she said. “It’s really great. It’s so rewarding to work with the kids.”