CALGARY — Nothing attracts attention like a great big truck. And nobody knows it like Calgary singer-songwriter Paul Brandt.

Two years ago, we reported how Brandt used a beautiful Peterbilt 379 owned by Paul Brandt Trucking of Winnipeg in the video for his re-release of the old classic tune “Convoy.”

This season, the country star leapt into one of trucker Brandt’s (no relation) rigs to tour the country promoting his new album “the Gift” as well as to collect shoeboxes full of Christmas gifts to be hand-delivered to kids in war-torn and poverty stricken countries.

Operation Christmas Child is the work of the international Christian relief organization Samaritan’s Purse.

The convoy collected over 4,000 shoebox gifts, trucker Brandt said in an email. In Ottawa, he was invited by Mrs. Harper to come to Parliament Hill with the truck. The Prime Minister’s wife, along with a number of politicians brought some shoebox gifts they had put together and loaded them in the truck. Mrs. Harper also took the opportunity to jump in the cab of the truck and give the horn a test.

On November 17, Paul and the truck will join over 53 EMS vehicles (ambulances, fire trucks, police cars, STARS air ambulance helicopter, and HAWKS air police helicopter) driving through Calgary to deliver shoeboxes from The Christmas Convoy, as well as from local schools and scout clubs to Samaritans Purse headquarters. This is the 10th year EMS has been involved, and they are putting together similar events in various cities across Canada.