News from Kenworth: T2000 Transports LEGO
Company To Mars
NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
Jeff Parietti, 425-828-5196 jparietti@paccar.com
Kenworth T2000 Transports LEGO Company To Mars
KIRKLAND, Wash., Aug. 14, 2001 - LEGO Systems, Inc. has been developing toys
for over 27 years in the United States that have sparked children's
creativity and imagination. This summer, the LEGO Company has taken another
creative leap by selecting Kenworth Truck Company's T2000 to "launch" the
LEGO® Life on Mars Encounter Truck Tour.
The four-month truck tour is a traveling, hands-on exhibit that lets
children learn about space and Mars through displays and space artifacts.
The tour is journeying to more than a dozen science museums across the
United States and Canada. An orange Kenworth T2000 pulls a 48-foot trailer
that is designed to look like a futuristic, high-tech space habitat.
"The T2000 is a sleek-looking vehicle that was the coolest truck out there
and sure to impress the young kids attending our Life on Mars Encounter
tour," noted David Meehan, director of shows and events for LEGO Systems,
Inc. of Enfield, Conn.
Mars Encounter truck driver Frank Castillo can feel the excitement up close.
At each stop, the T2000 gets so many visitors it could be confused with the
other futuristic exhibits in the show. "Most families haven't seen a show
like this before and so a lot of people are taking pictures of the truck,"
Castillo said. "No matter where we stop, a crowd seems to gather. Even on
the road, people will give me the thumbs up. It's a very, very attractive
truck."
Aside from the attention, Castillo was unsure of how the T2000 would fare -
especially since he has never driven a Kenworth before. But his doubts have
vanished. "The T2000 has out-performed all the other makes, especially in
comfort. It's easily the most comfortable truck I've ever driven," Castillo
said.
At each stop, the tractor-trailer is flanked by two tents. The first
contains several space activities, including a crater leap race ramp for
school-aged children. The second houses a LEGO playland designed for babies
and preschoolers. Inside the trailer are real-life space artifacts as well
as a scaled International Space Station replica made entirely out of LEGO
bricks.
Tour stops include Hartford, Conn., Boston, New York, Toronto, Philadelphia,
Baltimore, Chicago, Minneapolis-St Paul, Seattle, San Francisco, Los
Angeles, San Diego, Tucson, Dallas, Houston, Atlanta and Cape Canaveral,
Fla.
LEGO Systems, Inc. is the Americas (North America and Latin America)
division of the LEGO Company, a privately held firm based in Billund,
Denmark. For more information on the truck tour, visit LEGO's website at
www.lego.com/mars.
Kenworth Truck Company, a division of PACCAR Inc, is a leading manufacturer
of heavy and medium duty trucks. Kenworth's website is on the Internet at
www.kenworth.com.
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LEGO Life on Mars Encounter Truck Tour - Remaining Schedule
SEATTLE
Seattle Center
Thursday, August 16 10 a. m.-6 p.m. and Friday, August 17 10 a.m.-6
p.m.
Toys 'R' Us
Saturday, August 18 10 a.m.-4 p.m. -- Lynnwood, Wash.
Sunday, August 19 1 p.m.-6 p.m. -- Tukwila, Wash.
SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA
California Academy of Sciences /Golden Gate Park
Thursday, August 23 -10 a.m.-6 p.m. and Friday, August 24 - 10 a.m..-6
p.m.
Toys 'R' Us
Saturday, August 25 10 a.m.-4 p.m. --Sunnyvale, Calif.
Sunday, August 26 1 p.m.-7 p.m. -- Newark, Calif.
LOS ANGELES
The Block at Orange
Friday, August 31, noon to 6 p.m. -- Orange, Calif.
SAN DIEGO
LEGOLand
Saturday, September 1 (Time to be determined)
TUCSON
Park Place Mall
Tuesday, September 4 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.
DALLAS
The Science Place
Saturday, September 8 10 a.m.-4 p.m. and Sunday, September 9 10 a.m.-4
p.m.
Toys 'R' Us
Monday, September 10 10 a.m.-4 p.m. -- Lewisville, Texas
HOUSTON
Toys 'R' Us
Thursday, September 13 10 a.m.-4 p.m. -- Houston
Friday, September 14 1 p.m.-7 p.m. -- Webster, Texas
Space Center Houston
Saturday, September 15 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday, September 16 10 a.m.-5
p.m.
ATLANTA
Fernbank Museum of Natural History
Saturday, September 22 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday, September 23 noon.-5 p.m.
Toys 'R' Us
Thursday, September 20, 2 p.m.-8 p.m. -- Duluth, Ga.
Friday, September 21, 2 p.m.-8 p.m. -- Alpharetta, Ga.
CAPE CANAVERAL, FLA.
Kennedy Space Center Visitors Complex -- Date/Time to be determined.
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NOTE TO EDITORS: Dates, cities and locations are subject to change.
NOTE TO EDITORS: If you would like a high-resolution version of the
attached low-res image (lego1lr.jpg), please reply to this email. We do NOT
have high-resolution versions of lego2lr.jpg or lego3lr.jpg. Photo captions
follow:
lego1lr.jpg- An orange Kenworth T2000 is transporting the LEGO Company's
Life on Mars Encounter Truck Tour on its four-month journey. The T2000 was
chosen because of its sleek, aerodynamic look and positive impression on
young children.
lego2lr.jpg - Frank Castillo drives the Kenworth T2000 and trailer exhibit
on the LEGO Company's Life on Mars Encounter Truck Tour. Castillo notes that
"no matter where we stop, a crowd seems to gather. Even on the road people
will give me the thumbs up."
lego3lr.jpg - Frank Castillo drives the Kenworth T2000 and trailer exhibit
for the LEGO Company's Life on Mars Encounter Truck Tour. He notes that the
T2000 is "easily the most comfortable truck I've ever driven."
