BENNETTSVILLE— Last week the Freedom 250 Truck Tour rolled into Bennettsville and parked behind the City Administration building so adults and children alike could reconnect, and maybe even learn something new about American history. The truck visited Bennettsville Thursday through Saturday and was open from 9 to 5 each day. Hosting the event were Freedom 250 employees Nick Bravo and Greyson Adams.
The Freedom Tour Truck featured many interactive exhibits to excite and engage visitors.
Local Bennettsville Councilman Cy’Heim McRae said he found the tour very interesting.
“I was just passing through today and saw the truck out here, it looked interesting, and so I thought, why not? There is a lot here to take your time and look at— the interaction exhibits are really neat,” McRae said.
In addition to councilmen, Marlboro County families came out to tour the truck along with many area schools.
Amanda Hatcher and her son Lawson said they had a great time taking in all the years of history jammed into the truck.
“We wanted to come out and see what it looked like,” says Hatcher, though Lawson adds, “My favorite part is hearing George Washington.”
A favorite of many was the truck’s interactive President Washington display where the nation’s first president told of Independence.
David Locklear brought his family to see the truck.
“The kids love all the interactive displays, and I have really enjoyed seeing the Declaration of Independence,” Locklear said.
Jesus Is Lord Christian School in Cheraw’s third and fourth graders took a special field trip to Bennettsville to see the truck. Teacher Kim Quick said the students all had a wonderful time.
“Taking our students to see the Freedom 250 Truck was such a fun and meaningful experience. The interactive activities brought history to life in a way that our students could really connect with,” Quick praised. She continued, “We were especially excited because many of the topics covered were what we are currently learning about in our history lessons. It was wonderful to see the students so engaged, asking questions and genuinely excited about learning. Field trips like this remind us that history isn’t just something we read about it in a textbook, it’s real life that we can experience, understand and appreciate together.”
A grandparent, Bruce Kimrey, who accompanied the class as a chaperone for the day said he thought that he enjoyed the experience as much as the children.
“It was a blessing to get to have gone to the Freedom Truck with the school and my granddaughter. I thoroughly enjoyed it. There were so much information and interactive history inside the truck. I believe that even if you don’t like history, you would enjoy this experience,” Kimrey said.
“It was a blessing to get to have gone to the Freedom Truck with the school and my granddaughter. I thoroughly enjoyed it. There were so much information and interactive history inside the truck. I believe that even if you don’t like history, you would enjoy this experience,” Kimrey said.
The students at Jesus Is Lord also said they had a great time seeing history come alive. A particular highlight for students Charlie and Hayden was the interactive displays and touch screens.
Charlie said, “I love the touch screens. It was like real life.”
Another student, Olivia, said, “I liked the videos, they were really cool.”
Naomi and Nevaeh said they both enjoyed signing their names to the Declaration of Independence.
Dallas said, “I like the pictures of famous people that you could spin and see what they have done for America,” while his classmate Dawson said, “My grandma took a picture of the original 13 colonies and I’m using it to study for my test.”
Ariana said she also liked the pictures you could spin, while fellow student Jazelle said, “I like the test to see if you are a patriot or a loyalist.”
Echoing the thoughts of Lawson Hatcher, Locklyn said, “I like the touch screens where George Washington talked to us.”
Students in the first and second grade from the Jesus Is Lord Christian School also got to attend.
Amelia and Aria said they really enjoyed hearing Abraham Lincoln speak, while Dalston said a favorite for him was getting to see the different weapons used in battle.
Liam and Emorie said they really liked answering questions on the interactive tablet.
Nicolas and Bailey said they had fun just learning about American history and seeing all the colorful pictures, while Olivia said she liked getting to sign her name on the Constitution. David said he was a fan of the information blocks.
First and second grade teacher, Ms. Andrea Emanuel said, “It was a very educational and hands on experience for the students!”
The Freedom 250 Truck’s history covered the Revolutionary War, key historical figures, various battles, the Culpepper Spy Ring and so much more.