Illinois day of the dozer
About Us
Day of the Dozer is an event hosted by the Great Plains LIFE Foundation to support the "Stay 4" Project®. Children will receive the experience of a lifetime, an opportunity to ride on heavy construction equipment! The kids will be in the driver's seat and have the opportunity to drive bulldozers, excavators, and other heavy equipment with a professional operator at their side. The children will be in a safe environment in which a professional operator will assist the youth in the process of driving, steering, and maneuvering the equipment within a controlled area.
By allowing the children to access the construction equipment, the youth will get to experience first-hand what some construction jobs entail. The layers of skillful handling hidden within the daily tasks of construction workers will unfold before children. Access to these foreign gadgets will allow kids to traverse a world rarely seen by pedestrians.
A multitude of other activities will be present during the daylong event. Food will be available throughout the day as well as individual locations where children can freely play such as, but not limited to, the world's largest sandbox with several toys that are relevant to the construction equipment.
Kids will also have the wonderful chance to experience the inner workings of several other vehicles designed for specific jobs, and to dive into the driver seat of firetrucks, 18-wheelers, military trucks, farm equipment, and more!
All proceeds from Day of the Dozer benefit the "Stay 4" Project; a local initiative
designed to help low-income high school students who demonstrate the ability and desire to succeed yet are at risk for dropping out. This unique program has served more than 650 Illinois students and our combined efforts have resulted in 97% of those students graduating; most being the first in their families to do so.
Through the encouragement and assistance of "Stay 4", our students receive the
help and tools they need to overcome obstacles and face their future with confidence. Some have found careers in our American military, the trades, or gone on to study at 40+ colleges throughout the country including ISU & Heartland, Purdue, the University of Illinois, Texas A & M, Mizzou, Loyola, Arizona State, and Harvard!
Proceeds will benefit the "Stay 4" Project®, a local initiative designed to address the high school dropout crisis, and help low income students that demonstrate the ability to succeed, yet are at risk for dropping out.