Volvo Gold Rush Excavator Proceeds Benefit Nonprofits Through “Give Big Giveaway"

One-of-a-kind excavator will be auctioned off at Richie Bros. 2020 in Orlando, Florida, with proceeds benefiting home-building nonprofits. Fans will choose organizations through Discovery Channel’s online “Give Big Giveaway.”

To celebrate the 10th season of Gold Rush on Discovery Channel and its new EC200E crawler excavator, Volvo Construction Equipment is giving the proceeds from the sale of its Gold Rush excavator — a unique machine with a $7,000 gold paint job, custom-molded pads and embroidered autographed seat — to a nonprofit chosen by the public.

“Volvo CE wants to support groups that build and modify homes for families who need assistance, so they can have a safe home and a better tomorrow,” said Dave Foster, vice president, marketing and communications, Volvo Construction Equipment Americas. “The volunteers at these organizations give their time and talents, outside of their daily jobs, because they are committed to helping others have one of the most basic human needs: a safe, comfortable place to live.”

Vote online for selected charities 

Gold Rush season 10 airs on Discovery Channel on Fridays at 9 p.m. ET. The Give Big Giveaway will be promoted during the show, with viewers directed to a website where they can vote for one of the following nonprofit organizations:

• Building Homes for Heroes — For five consecutive years, Building Homes for Heroes has met the goal of gifting, on average, one home every 11 days to injured veterans and their families across the United States. Above and beyond building homes, the nonprofit helps veterans reach dreams they never imagined, when injured, including finding employment and starting new businesses, winning gold medals in the Warrior and Invictus Games, pursuing higher education, and conquering the world’s toughest terrain on the highest mountains, plus so much more. 
• Habitat for Humanity — Driven by the vision that everyone needs a decent place to live, Habitat for Humanity works in local communities across all 50 states in the U.S., and in more than 70 countries. Families and individuals in need of a hand up partner with Habitat for Humanity to build or improve a place they can call home. With the help of volunteers, Habitat homeowners contribute sweat equity to build their own homes, and they pay an affordable mortgage. 

The Gold Rush Excavator will be auctioned at the Richie Bros. Auctioneer event in Orlando in February 2020. Each of the nonprofit organizations will receive a portion of the proceeds, based on the number of votes.

The New EC200E Is Gold

Volvo excavators have been reliable workhorses for Gold Rush teams from the beginning. The EC200E — the same model as the golden excavator — offers a maximum digging reach of 32 feet 9 inches, a maximum digging depth of 22 feet 3 inches, and a lifting capacity of 16,138 pounds, making it ideal for the rugged work the Gold Rush teams complete each day.

The Gold Rush excavator is currently touring across Volvo CE dealerships in the U.S. and Canada. Highlights on this unique machine include a paint job with millions of bits of mirror, custom-made gold trackpads, and a unique leather seat with the Discovery Channel and Gold Rush logos as well as signatures of the show’s stars.

To cast your vote in the Give Big Giveaway, www.discovery.com/GiveBig.