I can’t believe it’s been 11 years since the gals at Rosenau Transport created the 18 Wheels of Christmas campaign. I was working in Calgary at that time and remember meeting up with Colleen Nickel and Dale Hart as they tried to drum up publicity for their first campaign. The idea was simple: Trucking companies and their customers were asked to collect food for area food banks, which was then collected using a specially decorated Rosenau trailer.

The premise remains the same today, but the program has expanded to include: Calgary, Edmonton, Saskatoon, Dawson Creek, Fort St. John and Sparwood. All food donations go to the food bank that serves the region in which it was collected. Colleen recently told me she figures the 18 Wheels of Christmas campaign has collected more than a million dollars worth of food since its inception. For contact info and details on how to contribute, visit the 18 Wheels of Christmas blog.