If you thought the ‘Big Man’ in red was going to arrive on a sleigh towed by reindeer then think again. International has built a brightly decorated and shiny red ProStar to Santa a helping hand this year, by delivering gifts to communities around Australia, as part of the
Coca-Cola Salvation Army’s Christmas Truck Tour.
Launched in Sydney recently, the ‘It Feels Good to Give’ tour, is a collaborative effort between The Salvation Army and Coca-Cola Australia and will see the ProStar travel more than 10,000 km in the coming weeks.
The tour stops in Perth, Adelaide, Broken Hill, Melbourne and Hobart to host community Christmas events, before returning to Sydney in time for Woolworths Carols in the Domain on December 22.
The ProStar sleeper cab prime mover in 550hp and ‘Ultrashift Plus’ AMT configuration, will tow a single trailer holding gifts for distribution at each event as part of one of Australia’s largest ‘Secret Santas’.
Guests can register to participate in the Secret Santa, with all gifts provided by Coca-Cola. Guests simply select a bauble from the Christmas archways on entry to the event, which contains a gift tag of a recipient at the next location. They then choose a gift for them from the present station and handwrite a message on an accompanying Christmas card – and the truck will deliver it to the recipient at the next stop.
In return, the gift giver receives a gift, wrapped by someone from the previous stop. Guests can then share in a festive meal and refreshing Coca-Cola No Sugar, and enjoy entertainment from The Salvation Army.
Iveco marketing manager, Darren Swenson, said the company was extremely excited at being able to provide a truck for the worthwhile initiative.
“It’s fantastic to assist in spreading some Christmas cheer at this time of year,” Mr Swenson said.
“By all accounts the Coca-Cola Christmas Truck Tour was a huge success in 2017 and this year it’s traversing a lot more of Australia, doubling its stops. The ProStar is an ideal truck for the task, providing ample horsepower, the convenience of an AMT and a full standing height cabin, providing the driver with plenty of space when they’re parked-up. And of course the trailer has just about as much payload as Santa’s sleigh.
“We’re also very pleased at the level of detail that Coca-Cola have gone to in preparing the truck for its Christmas tour – with its colourful wrap and extensive use of lighting, the ProStar looks exceptional and we know that attendees throughout the tour will get real enjoyment from seeing it up close.”
For more information about the tour or to find out where you can see the Coca-Cola Christmas Truck up close, please visit: www.coca-cola.com.au/en/it-feels-good-to-give
