The Big Idaho Potato Truck returns to Rockland Community College on April 9 to help promote organ donation and heart health awareness, in conjunction with National Organ Donation Month. RCC is the No. 1 college in New York State per capita in signing up organ donors, having registered more than 4,000 donors during a period covering six semesters.
Event Organizer Roxanne Watson, a heart transplant recipient, expects to sign up her 11,000th organ donor during the event. “I will make sure it will happen,” said Watson, a 1987 RCC graduate and missionary for educating people about the life-saving value of organ donation. Watson’s efforts through WomenHeart, Donate Life Rockland, LiveOnNY and other organizations have led Rockland County to the top position in the state for number of organ donor sign-ups.
Big Idaho Potato Truck and Volunteer Fair
Tuesday, April 9
10 am – 4 pm
Rockland Community College
Academic Quad
Event is free and open to the public
A volunteer fair will be held concurrently with the organ donation and Potato Truck festivities on RCC’s Academic Quad. The outing will also feature vendor tables, music, dancing, games and prizes, arts and crafts, and food options including a myriad of potato-related fare. Kid-friendly activities are also planned at the Campus Fun & Learn Center.
The Big Idaho Potato Truck, billed as the world’s largest potato on wheels at 72 feet long, travels around the country promoting Idaho’s signature agricultural product, certified as heart-healthy by the American Heart Association, while also helping nonprofit groups better serve their communities through its charitable program.
Only about 70 of the 600 annual requests for the Potato Truck are fulfilled, and this is the third time the truck will appear at RCC. The truck will receive a police escort along Route 59 and College Road. “This is a very big deal that we were picked,” Watson said. “The fact that it’s coming back to RCC makes it even cooler. The public can learn more about organ donation and have fun with family-friendly activities. It’s really a celebration of heart health.”