31.03.11
immediate release

Isuzu D-Max utes help Christchurch

Isuzu Utes are deeply involved in Christchurch’s quake recovery, with two of the tough D-Max vehicles donated to The Salvation Army.

Sallies relief teams use the 4WD utes to deliver food parcels to the city’s hard-hit eastern and seaside suburbs.

Hundreds of the pre-packed parcels go out each day.

“We couldn’t do it without the four-wheel-drives, to get over the damaged roads with flooding and still some liquefaction silt,” explained Major Robbie Ross, Territorial Public Relations Secretary of The Salvation Army.

“We get up to 25 or 30 food parcels into a ute each load, whereas previously we had to overload the vans used by the relief teams.

“This heaven-sent donation from Isuzu has enabled us to provide much greater support and relief to people who have nobody else to turn to,” said Major Ross.

The D-Max donation was made by Isuzu Utes New Zealand through its Christchurch dealer Silvester Isuzu, with one of the D-Max utes funded by an anonymous donor.

“We recognise the enormous recovery task confronting Christchurch and Canterbury,” said the General Manager of Isuzu, Greg MacDonald.

“We are keen to do whatever we can to help.

“Isuzu Operations Thailand, which supplies our utes, has been in regular contact with me to keep updated on the situation and offering help.

“They fully understand the nature of the problem, with their parent company in Japan now facing its own earthquake disaster.

“Isuzu Japan has been instrumental in helping provide these two vehicles, together with our very generous donor who is a New Zealander who simply wants to help and seeks no recognition.

“Isuzu Utes New Zealand will be staying alongside the people of Christchurch and we will make more support available through Silvester Isuzu.

“Right now The Salvation Army had an immediate need for transport and carrying capacity, for which the Isuzu D-Max is ideal.”

Each of the two utes is typically carrying 100 food parcels into the quake-hit suburbs each day, more when trailers are used.

The need is identified by leaders of Salvation Army relief teams going door-to-door. They phone flying squad coordinators who rush the food parcels to the area.

Most of the door-knockers, food packers and others are volunteers.

“We have about a hundred volunteer workers coming into Christchurch every week to help,” said Major Ross.

“In the early days after the earthquake we were receiving up to 2,500 calls a day for help … that has stabilised now but we still typically have 40 calls left on our answer machines overnight, and then the day starts.

“That’s where the utes are so jolly handy, with the four-wheel-drive taking us into areas where a normal vehicle can’t go.

“And at the start Silvester Isuzu loaded up the utes with barrows and shovels, which were just invaluable.”

Major Ross says one D-Max ute will remain longterm in Christchurch, and eventually the other will be redirected to emergency response work in Wellington.
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