Every summer, families and children find a wholesome opportunity for fun with agriculture equipment at Day of Play events hosted by RDO Equipment Co. team members.
Several years ago, RDO team members launched Day of Play community events at various locations.
“I remember John Deere starting their Day of Play program for dealerships long ago when they wanted to partner with a toy company to give back to the communities,” says Ross Pietruszewski, RDO's general manager in Breckenridge, Minnesota, who’s
worked with RDO for more than 23 years. RDO team members loved this idea from the beginning, reflecting our values of connecting with farmers and community members in and around our stores.
This year, six stores continued this tradition, including Breckenridge and Hawley,
Minnesota, as well as Casselton, Kindred and Lisbon, North Dakota. And lastly, Aberdeen, South Dakota, again hosted its community members and people from surrounding rural areas.
Children interacted with large pieces of John Deere equipment and even had the opportunity to take a ride on pedal trikes and the always-popular barrel train.
“Being in the machine when a child climbs into the cab for their first ever combine or tractor ride is an awesome experience and something that our team members really enjoy,” says RDO Equipment Co. regional general manager Nic Miller.
Blake Mathues, Hawley store manager reflects on the joy experienced by many children this summer.
“It seems like little tykes will be drawn to almost anything with wheels, and it is nearly instinct for them to pick up a toy truck or tractor and start making 'vroom, vroom' sounds,” Matheus says. “So, imagine how big their eyes got
when they saw, some for the first time, a giant John Deere combine up close."
Matheus summarized the day of play's effervescent joy felt by kids and even bigger kids alike.
“I think it’s the thrill of the ginormousness of these machines. They’re big and loud," Matheus says. "They want to explore and check everything out. During Day of Play, we get kids close to the machinery and allow them to sit in even
our biggest machines, our combines. They get to see everything safely and generate a sense of wonder we all have about these machines."
RDO Equipment Co.
Founded in 1968, RDO Equipment Co. sells and supports intelligently connected agriculture, construction, environmental, irrigation, positioning, and surveying equipment from leading manufacturers, including John Deere, Vermeer, and Topcon. With more than 80 locations across the U.S. and partnerships in Africa, Australia, Mexico and Ukraine, we deliver creative solutions so our customers can grow and build the world.
