Nearly 400 Airdronians enjoyed free flame-grilled hamburgers for lunch Aug. 21, thanks to the HaRVey’s RV Tour.
According to Harvey’s senior marketing manager Chelsea Kellock, the cross-country RV tour is the fast-food restaurant’s way of saying thank you to frontline, food industry and grocery store workers for supporting their communities throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The HaRVey’s RV Tour is really just a goodwill initiative that allows us to go almost coast-to-coast to say thank you by giving back, primarily to front-line grocery workers, along with others who have gone above and beyond in Canada through these challenging times, with free ‘Thanks’ burgers,” she said. “We just wanted to recognize that and give back to those in our food industry family, who have supported and fed Canadians throughout the pandemic.”
While the tour is focused on feeding frontline workers, Kellock added the campaign’s goal is to distribute 50,000 free burgers to anyone in the communities the tour stops in.
“We’re prioritizing a line for grocery store workers and other first responders while we’re on-site, [but] we’re also giving away burgers and serving community members who happen to be in the lucky areas,” she said.
To comply with COVID-19 health regulations, employees wear masks while serving the burgers and the RV is equipped with hand sanitizer. Burger recipients are asked to socially distance when they line up.
The tour, which kicked off July 17 in Ontario, includes 34 pit stops altogether, according to Kellock.
While in Airdrie, the RV stopped at the parking lot of the Sobeys along 8 Street and MacKenzie Way S.W. From noon until 3 p.m., Harvey’s employees handed out 386 burgers, as well as 1,260 free burger coupons, which can be used at any Harvey's location.
While the tour does not include stops in British Columbia, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia or Newfoundland and Labrador, its goal is to cover as much of Canada possible, Kellock said. The easternmost stop was in New Brunswick, while the westernmost stop took place Aug. 26 in Grande Prairie, Alta. Following the Grande Prairie stop, the tour will return to Ontario for eight final stops.
The tour is set to wrap up Sept. 13, though Kellock said it might be extended.
“It’s been really rewarding for us and the team on the road,” she said. “We’re getting great quotes all the time, which is awesome to see, so we may end up extending it a little bit further.”
By the end of the Airdrie pit stop, Kellock said the RV had already driven more than 8,000 kilometres along Canada’s highways and employees had given out 40,210 burgers.
“This is just another initiative for Harvey’s being a 100 per cent Canadian brand, and to give back in a safe way,” she said. “We’ve joked it’s the most socially distant food truck ever, and we’re just proud of our teams on the ground that have been serving Canadians in our restaurant.
“We thought this would be a great way to reach more people, for those who can’t make it to our restaurants or who are financially burdened at this time.”
Scott Strasser, AirdrieToday.com
Follow me on Twitter @scottstrasser19
