Coke sponsors Christmas concert
News 5’s Jacqueline Woods is just back from Battlefield Park where Coca-Cola and the Belize City Council are sponsoring a Christmas concert. Coke’s Nick Pollard explains what it’s all about.
Jacqueline Woods
“And folks this is where it will all be happening tonight. We’re at the Battlefield Park and of course going on right now is Coca-Cola’s second annual Christmas concert. With me I have Coca-Cola sales manager Mr. Nick Pollard. Good evening to you.”
Nick Pollard, Sales Manager, Bowen and Bowen
“Good evening Jackie, good evening Channel 5, thanks for being out here in Battlefield Park. You’re getting piece of the live Christmas action.”
Jacqueline Woods
“Before we get into that action, I must mention to our viewers, and of course they’re noticing it, that we’re standing in front of this magnificent Christmas tree. I understand there are about five thousand lights on it, it’s twenty-feet high; tell us a bit about this tree.”
Nick Pollard
“Well, about two year ago the Coca-Cola company in the Caribbean and Central America, they wanted to associate Coca-Cola with Christmas. Over the years, Coca-Cola had commissioned one, Sundblom to paint Santa Claus along with Coca-Cola. Eventually they started using it more and more and well we sat down with the City Council and we shared the ideas with them and Mayor David Fonseca said excellent, let’s do it. And they at the same time were planning the beautification of the park, so we ordered the tree and a lot of work went into getting that tree to Belize. It’s a very expensive tree. As you said earlier, it’s five thousand lights, and it’s made by hand each part of it. It’s well compact with the decorations, so it’s a complete package.”
Jacqueline Woods
And in the background we can hear Mr. Peters Boom and Chime and that’s only one of the groups that will be performing tonight right?”
Nick Pollard
“That’s right, we want to ask you all when you’re shopping, come on out to the park, come and enjoy the fun about 7:30 we should have the Pantempers school band with their Christmas Bram, so it’s going to be a lot of Christmas fun out here tonight.”
Jacqueline Woods
“Why did you all decide to have this annual concert?”
Nick Pollard
“Well after we came up with the idea of the tree, the City Council also decided to have their concert, as well as Christmas party for the kids. So we didn’t want to be left out of the whole picture, so we said to them, let’s put in the Coca-Cola concert, and we did the Cuban band last year. and this year we said let’s make it a little bit more folkloric, more the old Belizeans style Christmas with the Boom and Chime and steel band.”
Jacqueline Woods
“And this is not only happening in Belize, but as well Coca-Cola holds these concerts throughout the region as well?”
Nick Pollard
“They do. I know Trinidad is doing something big at this time and I think El Salvador and a few other countries in the Caribbean are also involved in the Coca-Cola Christmas. So it’s eventually, I guess it’s going to be in the whole region and we’re looking at a bigger tree. We were hoping to do that this year, but we just couldn’t make it this time. But I’m almost sure that next year we’re gonna have a thirty-five foot tree here in Belize. And this one, well we’re gonna have to pull a lucky number on it and see where it goes next, whether Orange Walk or Cayo.”
Jacqueline Woods
“Well thank you so much Nick.”
Nick Pollard
“Thank you Jackie for being out here and let’s enjoy the Boom and Chime.”
Jacqueline Woods
“And of course, you folks at home still have time to make it out there to the Battlefield Park and enjoy this year’s Coca-Cola Christmas concert.”
