A name for the cleaning vehicle

The city of Ostrava, in the Czech Republic, has a brand new street cleaning vehicle.  What makes it special is that this present from our Group, designed to support Ostrava’s efforts to have a clean city, is called “Racoon”; a name chosen by children from a local school.

To find a name for the vehicle and encourage the interest of young children towards a cleaner environment, “We addressed all elementary schools at the neighbouring boroughs,” explains Monika Pěnčíková, Head of Corporate Responsibility, ArcelorMittal Ostrava. ”One class at each school took part in the competition to name the street cleaning car.”

As a means of encouragement, our Czech colleagues invented the following story: one evening a night watchman went about to make his regular round, when he saw a shiny orange cleaning car. Surprisingly, it looked sad: instead of looking forward to all the spraying, sweeping and brushing, it was only sighing and groaning!

“Such a nice fresh-painted car you are. You should be excited and not groaning like this!” said the watchman. “I would be excited,” answered the downhearted vehicle. “But I’m so sad. I feel as if I almost didn’t exist! Everybody who lives in a city has a name. Even dogs have names. Only I don’t!”

The watchman thought about his grandson, who went to school, and about all the amazing things children made there. He said to the car: “We will send a picture of you to the children. I am sure they will give you a name!“ At that very moment the car stopped sighing and its turn signals flashed with curiosity.

Now, the happily named Racoon is cleaning the streets of Ostrava…and for anyone out there who knows how much racoons love to eat garbage, then you know the clever children of Ostrava did an excellent job!

Collaboration: Ivo Sterba, ArcelorMittal Ostrava Communications, Tobin Postma, CR Communications