Santa’s sleigh is celebrating 10 years of partnership with TC Harrison Ford and the Burton upon Trent Duke of Edinburgh Award Association, helping to maintain a well-loved festive tradition on the road while raising vital funds for young people.
The annual tour has turn out to be a well-recognized sight across Burton upon Trent and South Derbyshire, with Santa and his helpers visiting pre-arranged routes over 15 nights for 3 to 4 hours each evening.
The event itself began around 15 years ago after the association was gifted a sleigh, growing into a serious community draw. Organisers say even the smallest evenings can attract greater than 800 people, with requests from surrounding areas continuing to extend.
Families may also follow the tour through a dedicated tracking app, allowing residents to time their visits because the sleigh moves through local streets.
Alongside its festive appeal, the sleigh drive is a serious fundraiser for the Burton upon Trent Duke of Edinburgh Award Association. Donations collected through the tour support local youth development by helping the association provide skills, resources and opportunities for young people.
Over the last decade of TC Harrison Ford’s involvement, the partnership is reported to have raised around £120,000, with annual totals typically starting from £12,000 to £14,000.
TC Harrison supports the event by providing a vehicle to drag and power the sleigh. This 12 months’s sleigh-puller is a Ford Ranger Plug-in Hybrid, wrapped in a bespoke festive design created by the retailer’s in-house team and nicknamed Rudolph the Red Nosed Ranger.
The vehicle’s zero-tailpipe emission driving capability and ProPower onboard technology provide a silent 230v 2.3kW power supply for the sleigh’s PA system.
Martin Hulbert, chairman of the association, said: “The partnership with TC Harrison is no doubt crucial thing we’ve. To offer a truck with its own generator on board is a game changer – a automotive that without TCH, we wouldn’t have the opportunity to afford.”
This Article First Appeared At www.am-online.com
