The world’s largest potato recently embarked on its fourth cross-country tour with a new mission to help local charities across the U.S. The Big Idaho Potato Truck has always had a charitable component to it; however, the 2015 tour will be working individually with different charities in each market.
In Idaho, 4-H clubs and local food banks were the first to benefit from the truck’s new mission. Eighteen 4-H clubs across the state hosted a 12-day Food Drive Challenge. The Wild West 4-H club from Dietrich won the challenge by collecting 680 pounds of food and received $500 from the IPC to fund a community service project of its choice. The IPC made a 4,200-pound Idaho potato donation to the Idaho Food Bank in Boise, which equals the total weight of the food collected by all the clubs.
The Tour
In a five-month period, the truck will visit 60 cities, travel 22,087 miles and help dozens of charities better serve their communities.
The first stop was the Kentucky Derby, where the truck made its third appearance in the popular Pegasus Parade. Other major stops on the tour include NASCAR in Bristol, Tenn.; the National Memorial Day Parade in Arlington, Va.; and the Seafair Festival in Seattle, Wash.
A live feed of the oversize tuber will be available at www.potatotracker.com. At toll-free 844-BIGIDAHO, folks can call to hear a special message from Mark Coombs, the grower who appears in the IPC’s national television commercials.
The truck’s Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Vine feeds will continue to provide potato lovers with direct interaction with the Tater Team, the threesome that travels with the truck, and the latest news on the tour.
The Tater Team
Three people who love to travel make up the Tater Team. Ellis is on board for his third tour and travels the globe when he’s not working with the Big Idaho Potato. Adam is an outgoing Boise resident who will be bringing his fitness degree on the road. Phylliss is the first female driver and a self-proclaimed road warrior.
The Truck
The Big Idaho Potato weighs more than six tons (the equivalent of 32,346 medium-sized Idaho potatoes). After being seen by millions of Americans, the most frequently asked question is, “Is it real?” We’ll never tell…but if it is, the Big Idaho Potato would make 30,325 servings of mashed potatoes or more than 1.4 million french fries!
To date, the truck has visited each of the contiguous 48 states, appeared in more than 3,000 towns and cities, and traveled 68,795 miles since its 2012 launch. If you haven’t already, I hope you have an opportunity to see the Big Idaho Potato Truck this summer.