Owosso, MI – Baker College’s Owosso campus is offering a unique pit stop for those enjoying the long-awaited return of Cruise the Pits: a fundraiser for the Child Advocacy Center on the flatbed of an iconic Peterbuilt truck.

“Enjoying camaraderie, having a prime location for reviewing the Friday evening slo-mo action of Cruise the Pits, and supporting a Shiawassee County charity are reasons to attend this fun event,” said Aaron J. Maike, Ph.D., Baker College of Owosso president.

The fundraiser is 5-10 p.m., Friday, July 28, at the corner of Park and Exchange streets. The truck will be stationed in the parking lot of Hi-Quality Glass, 216 E. Exchange St.

A $25 ticket – $20 in advance – will gain admittance for those age 21 and up to the flatbed party and three beer tickets. All ticket sales will be donated to the Child Advocacy Center, the same charity designated by Cruise the Pits. Baker College is also the presenting sponsor of the 2017 Cruise the Pits cruise and car show.

“In helping plan the return of this beloved Owosso tradition, we saw an opportunity to raise additional money for the Child Advocacy Center while building community among attendees,” Maike said.

Individual and blocks of tickets are available at Baker College’s Welcome Center, 1309 S. M-52, Owosso, and Hi-Quality Glass, and by contacting Voula Erfourth, Baker College of Owosso director of academic affairs at 989.729.3406 or [email protected].

The truck is part of Baker College’s Auto/Diesel Institute collection. The 43,000-square-foot Auto/Diesel Institute is located on Baker College’s Owosso campus and offers diesel and automotive technology programs. The diesel service technology program is the only such program in Michigan that is accredited by the National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation.

The Child Advocacy Center, 1216 W. Main St., Owosso, is a program of the Child Abuse Prevention Council of Shiawassee County. The center provides a safe place for child-friendly forensic interviews, counseling and other support services free of charge to children and families who have been victims of abuse in order to provide hope and healing.

The largest private college in Michigan, Baker College is a not-for-profit higher education institution accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Founded in 1911, Baker College grants doctoral, master’s, bachelor’s and associate degrees, as well as certificates in diverse academic fields including applied technology, business, education, engineering, health science, information technology and social science. Baker College has on-ground campuses throughout Michigan and offers online programs that can be completed 100 percent online without ever visiting a campus. In 2016, the Online Learning Consortium recognized Baker College Online with the OLC Quality Scorecard Exemplary Endorsement, the highest ranking for online higher education programs. For information, visit www.baker.edu or follow Baker College on Twitter, @bakercollege, or on Facebook, www.facebook.com/bakercollege.