Think pink: cement truck painted to raise cancer awareness

After a colourful decade of serving the ready mix concrete needs of the Winnipeg construction community, City Mix Inc. is turning pink. The newest addition to its fleet of cement trucks has been painted a stunning pink in support of the CancerCare Manitoba Foundation.

Sporting the slogan “Pink. It’s tougher than you think.” the truck debuted on the morning of Sept. 12, delivering cement to Manitoba Hydro’s Riel terminal station project. The company is also raising money for the foundation through online sales of pink hardhats and T-shirts featuring the new slogan at www.citymixinc.com.

“The unfortunate reality is that almost everyone has had their lives touched by cancer in one form or another, whether it is a personal run-in with it, a friend, or a family member,” says a statement released by the company. “Because of this, we felt that CancerCare Manitoba Foundation would be a great foundation to stand behind.”

The company worked closely with the foundation to develop the public face of the campaign.

“City Mix Inc. came to us initially with the idea for the pink truck and then we worked on a slogan that would best convey the message of the company and the foundation,” says Annitta Stenning, executive director for CancerCare Manitoba Foundation. “They then asked us how we thought we could turn a public awareness campaign into a fundraising opportunity and the result was the sale of the T-shirts and certified hard hats. The company financed the production of these items themselves. This kind of dedication, enthusiasm and support is helping us make a difference in the lives of Manitobans with cancer and their families.”

The truck was supplied by Connexion Industries of Winnipeg. “It was a brand new 4700 Western Star model, just new this year,” says Ken Cranwill, Connexion’s owner. “I mentioned the idea that we could supply a pink truck to Chris Zacharias, the owner of City Mix. He’s a charitable guy and was really receptive to the idea and he just ran with it.”

Cranwill notes that painting a cement truck a shocking pink is no more costly than painting it silver.

“When I called the factory, they were kind of shocked at the concept but then rallied around the idea,” says Cranwill. “Unfortunately, everybody can relate to cancer in one way or another, so they were thrilled to build it.”

The prototype pink truck, however, failed to arrive in Winnipeg.

“I called Chris one day and I told him that he really had a flaming pink truck — and that the flames were real,” says Cranwill. “The truck caught on fire in transport, somewhere between the factory and our dealership. We’re still not sure quite what happened.”

Once the second vehicle was produced and delivered, Cranwill personally drove it to the City Mix head office.

“I was just amazed at the reactions I was getting as I drove it up Route 90,” says Cranwill. “They’d stop and stare and when I’d check the rearview mirror, they’d still be pointing. It’s a great tool to raise cancer awareness.”