The School Cheverly Weekday Nursery School (and Mothers' Day Out program) in Cheverly, Maryland.
The Project The Cheverly Truck Touch. Kids buy $3 tickets to explore a fleet of construction, emergency, safety, and farm vehicles parked in the school lot.
The Payoff About $3,000 a year toward lower tuition.

Toddlers go ga-ga for motor vehicles, an obsession the Cheverly Weekday Nursery School capitalizes on with a fund-raiser that's wheeled in eager participants for ten years running. "We get a special exemption from the town for the noise," confesses Katie Troyner, a caterer and self-described "volunteer-a-holic" who helps assemble the happy jam of vehicles -- this year more than 30 garbage trucks, school buses, police cars, classic cars, ambulances, fire trucks, backhoes, and more -- for the siren-blasting, lights-flashing, hands-on event.

Reaching out to her community (and its motor vehicles) comes naturally to Katie. "I just drive around town, and whenever I see a cool vehicle, I ask if they'd be willing to bring it! I saw 'College Hunks Hauling Junk' and called the 800 number, and they came!" The event also offers games (such as hosing out a pretend fire), prizes, and concessions, with almost everything donated. "We only had to buy a few things, like the ketchup and mustard," says Katie, whose own 6-year-old daughter, Logan, loves blasting the police siren -- almost as much as she loves eating the snow cones.

Katie's tips Outfit volunteers with orange safety vests and walkie-talkies. Ask vehicle owners to stay with their trucks and to supervise the visiting children. Solicit donations of food and prizes from local businesses.