Recreating Coca-Cola Christmas truck advert for charity fundraiser
THIS Saturday (December 9), at 5 p.m., more than 90 illuminated trucks will take part in the third annual Joyce Country Truck Run & Light Show. The procession will recreate the famous Coca-Cola truck advert and travel a 14km journey in support of charity.
The drivers of the trucks will be raising funds for the Galway Hospice Foundation and national charity FirstLight.
The journey will begin at Peacocks Hotel in Maam Cross and will take 60 minutes to complete. The trucks will pass through Maam Cross, Corr na Móna village, Cloghbrack village, and concludes in Clonbur.
The Joyce Truck Run & Light Show was founded in 2021 by Paddy Rock, a resident of Clonbur, and Ray McHugh, one of the 14 Galway Persons of the Year for 2023 and a native of Cong. They aimed to create an Irish version of the world-renowned 1995 Coca-Cola Christmas truck advertisement in the Maam Valley of Galway.
In December 2021, Paddy and Ray brought an Irish version of the iconic Christmas image to life with the inaugural Joyce Country Truck Run & Light Show. The event has raised over €37,000 for four Irish charities, and in 2023, they will be fundraising for the national charity FirstLight and Galway Hospice Foundation.
FirstLight CEO Jennifer McCarthy Flynn said: “FirstLight has provided over 2,000 hours of crisis intervention and psychotherapy to more than 244 bereaved family members and parents throughout Ireland in 2023. This level of support would not be possible were it not for the kindness and generosity of the public, including such incredible events as the Joyce Country Truck Run & Light Show.
“FirstLight would also like to offer a sincere thank you to FirstLight ambassador and Clonbern native Gerard Heneghan, who has been instrumental in bringing FirstLight to the attention of Paddy and Ray and securing our nomination in 2023.”
Galway Hospice director of fundraising and communications, Charlene Hurley, said: “Galway Hospice are delighted to have been chosen as one of the beneficiaries of this fantastic event. The support of the community is how we can continue to provide our specialist palliative care services to our patients and their families free of charge for as long as they need us. We wish the organisers of the Joyce Country Truck Run & Light Show the best of luck this weekend.”