The Soccer World Cup has long time come and gone but there is one thing FIFA and South Africa still has to do and that is to honour the companies which entered the FleetWatch challenge encouraging transporters to get into the spirit of the occasion in support of Bafana Bafana and South Africa as host nation writes Patrick O’Leary.
Sorry this awards ceremony is only taking place now but we originally had David Beckham down to present the prizes but he kept postponing as he couldn’t fit it into his hectic schedule of running between the hairdresser and the tattoo shop.
Sepp Blatter was our next choice but he was too busy counting his money and had only got to $500-million with many more millions to go. Exhausting work! At the time, he was also busy fighting off massive local conglomerates , like Sipho’s Wors and Sadza Cart , who he saw as posing huge threats to the survival of his multi-million dollar international sponsors.
With second best out of the picture, I decided then to turn to the best , FleetWatch’s very own Maryna Parsons and Lorinda Stoltz. The reason it is only being done now is because they kept going back to have their hair done for the photographs – and I only found out now that they have been going to the same hair-dresser as, you guessed it, David Beckham. Yes , well!!!!!
The competition was run last year over four months leading up to the event and we had numerous entries from which we chose a monthly winner. The criteria was simple: A mystery prize as well as a write up in the magazine was offered for the best example of what the South African road transport industry could do to wave the flag for South Africa and the soccer World Cup. All companies had to do was send in details of their soccer promotions and accompanying photographs. We had some wonderful entries and it wasn’t always easy choosing the monthly winner , but it was a huge amount of fun. Now for the mystery prize.
In keeping with the spirit FleetWatch’s wanted something that matched the enthusiasm of the companies which entered as well as the spirit of the World Cup. We also wanted something that would last beyond the slurping of a few glasses of the finest FleetWatch special blend of Château Collapso.
We thus had colourful custom designed Makarapa hats specially made up with a FleetWatch’s truck on the top and a brass plaque bearing the winner’s name on each of the hats. Our two soccer stars, Maryna Parsons and Lorinda Stoltz, then went out and presented each company with their ‘˜mystery’ prize , the colourful hat. So it’s a big congratulations to the winners. (See accompanying photos)
Well done to our winners. And to those who tried but didn’t make the cut, well done too. You were all great. And please do not forget to enter our next FleetWatch Soccer World Cup trucking challenge when this great event returns to South Africa’s shores in 3010. Until then, I recommend Sipho’s Wors and Sadza Cart for the best soccer meals in town.
