For a second year in a row, Coca-Cola Canada is seeking to give the kindest community in the nation $100,000 for one of their local charities, kicking off that search at the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo.
The Coca-Cola Holiday Caravan, which began from a single driver lighting up his delivery truck during the pandemic, made a stop at the zoo on Nov. 21.
As part of that, Calgarians are given a free opportunity to have photos taken with Santa and suggest Calgary’s own acts of kindness for the contest, putting us all on the nice list for 2025.
“We’ve got a long history and a long tradition with Santa Claus, and to be able to bring that to the community and to share that with all the smiling faces and the kids is pretty special,” said Konrad Kiss, Vice President of Western Canada for Coca-Cola Canada.
He said that coming to the zoo was part of a new partnership between the beverage company and the conservation organization, made all the more special given the time of year and the ongoing festivity of Christmas lights at the zoo grounds.
“I’m a born, raised Calgarian. I brought my kids here to ZooLights, and it’s an exciting spot for the community to gather. We thought, what better occasion to kick off the 2025 caravan, than at the Calgary Zoo,” said Kiss.
Dr. Kyle Burks, CEO of the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo, said that having the Coca-Cola Caravan and the kindness contest kick off at the zoo was a great way to showcase the connection that the zoo has with the wider community.
“When they reached out and said we’d like this to be the first stop in Calgary, we said absolutely. There’s a great synergy between what they bring to us as a partner and what we’ve got with ZooLights and this experience. So we couldn’t be happier,” he said.
Given the brand’s long-time connection to polar bears as part of their yearly advertising campaigns, Dr. Burks said it was also a great time to visit Siku in the Wild Canada section of the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo.
“I will say that we don’t give our polar bear Coca-Cola. That’s OK, they still have amazing treats and opportunities throughout the holiday season. They love it when everybody’s there to check them out,” he said.
“This time of the year is probably his favourite time of the year, because it’s getting crisper and cool outside. It’s a great opportunity for him. He kind of mugs for the public anyway, so he is constantly out there.”
Calgarians can cast their ballots for the city at www.coca-cola.com/ca/en/offerings/holiday/kindest-community.
