Is Milton the kindest community in Canada? That’s what Coca-Cola wants to find out!
Coca-Cola is kicking off the holiday season on World Kindness Day with the return of the Coca-Cola Holiday Caravan and the launch of Canada’s Kindest Community Contest. Adorned with twinkling lights, the iconic Red Coca-Cola truck will be accompanied by Santa and a few special elves.
New this year, the tour coincides with the launch of Canada’s Kindest Community Contest – a program asking Canadians to share stories of kindness from their community for a chance to win a $50,000 donation for a non-profit organization near them.
“The Holiday Caravan was born from an opportunity to spread optimism and share joy in communities coast-to-coast,” says Todd Parsons, CEO of Coca-Cola Canada Bottling Limited. “By uniting the Coca-Cola Holiday Caravan and Canada’s Kindest Community Contest, we connect the joy of the holiday season with making a meaningful difference in the communities where we operate. We believe kindness is contagious, and every kind act, no matter its size, has the potential to make an impact.”
Launching in partnership with Community Foundations of Canada, Canadians can nominate acts of kindness in their community whether their own or those of others – that have made life in their community better. Nominations open today and can be submitted online via the Coca-Cola Holiday Hub, or through QR codes found at local Holiday Caravan stops and select retailers until January 6, 2025. The community with the most submissions per capita will be recognized as Canada’s Kindest Community, receive a $50,000 donation to a local non-profit – supported by Community Foundations of Canada – and receive a 2025 Holiday Caravan experience.
The official tour will kick off in Halifax, Nova Scotia. With the help of a few special elves and one jolly man from the North Pole, the iconic Red Coca-Cola truck will be adorned with twinkling lights and travel to hundreds of communities to connect with Canadians to deliver moments of optimism offering various kindness-led experiences.
Tour stops will offer magical moments for Canadians to capture a picture with the iconic Coca-Cola Holiday truck driven by Santa himself. The full experience will stop at the Toronto Premium Outlets on Steeles Avenue in Halton Hills on Saturday, December 1st. From 1:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m., people will be able to:
- Take photos with Santa and the red Coca-Cola truck
- Sample Coca-Cola products in holiday packaging
- Visit the ReSparkle Forest where you can recycle your sample (or other products) for a chance for an exclusive giveaway
- Check out the Holiday Studio, where you can print your picture on a Coca-Cola can for a collectible item
There will be other local opportunities where residents can take photos with Santa and the red truck. That will be happening at:
- Fortinos Burlington from 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. on Friday, November 22nd
- Sheridan College in Oakville from 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday, November 26th
- Walmart Milton from 2:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, November 28th
The red truck driven by Santa Claus will also pass through the Oakville Santa Claus Parade on Saturday, November 16th.
Complete tour schedule can be found here.
For more information about Canada’s Kindest Community, click here.
If you have a news tip or story idea, you can now send us a heads up via email at News1013@LocalRadio.ca. If you’d like to get ahold of me personally, shoot me a message at Cameron.Wilkinson@LocalRadio.ca. We’re in the business of content creation, so no idea is a bad idea.