It was about this time last year that a customised Valtra Unlimited N Series tractor was launched on a marathon fund-raising tour of the UK. The aim was to raise as much money as possible for the charity Breast Cancer Care.
The eye-catching machine, finished in unmissable pink, made its tour debut at the North Somerset Show, bowing out five months – and 22 venues – later at a charity event near Shrewsbury. Along the way, which stretched between Cornwall and Edinburgh, tractor attracted sufficient attention to help extract more than £20,000 from the pockets of show goers, before finally being auctioned. The surplus realised over the cost price of the machine also went to the BCC charity.
Breast Cancer Care was delighted with the outcome. Event co-ordinator Amy Swatkins said: “We’re extremely grateful to Valtra and, in particular, all the dealerships that were involved in the effort to raise funds. So many of them organised additional fund-raising activities at both the shows they attended and from their own businesses.”
“The nationwide tour also helped to raise awareness of the work Breast Cancer Care does in supporting people with breast cancer. A huge thanks to everyone that was involved.”
Valtra Pink tractor and front loader. From left: Clive Montgomery (CAM Engineering), John (Jock) & Karen Paterson from J.M.Paterson.
The winning bid in the charity auction for the Pink Tractor came from John (Jock) Paterson, of J M Paterson (Plant Hire) Ltd, which is based at Maybole, Ayrshire. Almost unbelievably, John already had a pink Valtra, which has been at work on a gas line project, but his initial plans for the new one include raising a further £10k for Breast Cancer Care over the course of 2018.
One of the ways in which he aims to achieve this is to persuade companies that he does business with to pay £200 for a sticker on the tractor stating their support for the breast cancer charity. In addition to that, John has said he will donate 20 per cent of the profit that the Pink Tractor generates over the 12 months, also taking the machine to local shows and events and inviting donations on his Facebook page.
John was new to the Valtra brand until last year, since which time he has bought four through his local dealership, CAM Engineering at Castle Douglas. “We decided to choose Breast Cancer Care as our nominated charity as most of us know someone who has been affected in some way – directly or indirectly – by breast cancer,” he explains.
