Operation BBQ Relief feeds family, first responders affected by natural disasters
Jarrid ‘Jay’ Collins, Operation B.B.Q. Relief chief program officer, joins ‘America’s Newsroom.’
The 2020 Hess truck is a fitting coincidence.
(Hess)
The latest version of the annual holiday toy features an ambulance that comes with a small rescue truck inside of it and the fuel supplier is dedicated to the first responders who have fought against the coronavirus pandemic in America.
(Hess)
But the company says the design, which is the first ambulance in the toy's 56-year history, was finalized long before COVID-19 became a global issue.
However, the company is leaning into it with a campaign on its social media outlets asking people to post photos of their personal heroes from across the spectrum of first responders and essential workers, with the #ThankYouFirstResponders hashtag.
(Hess)
The trucks feature a combined 96 lights, the most in Hess truck history, four sirens and -- fortunately for parents and guardians -- a mute mode for the blinking lights.
The Hess truck was first sold at Hess stations in 1964 for $1.99 and some models are worth thousands of dollars today as collectibles. It has been sold online since the company stopped operating retail locations in 2015, and it is being made available earlier than usual this year due to potential supply issues caused by the pandemic priced at $36.99.