(The Canadian Pacific Railway issued the following on December 20.)
CALGARY, Alberta — The CPR Holiday Train, which has been rolling across Canada, the Northeastern and Midwestern United States since December 1, raising food, money and awareness for food banks in more than 110 towns, cities and First Nations ended its run on Tuesday evening with final shows in Agassiz, Haney-Maple Ridge and Port Moody, British Columbia.
Official totals are still being tallied but an estimated 230,000 pounds of food and more than $400,000 (Cdn) have been donated to local food banks at over 70 communities in Canada this year and, 76,000 pounds of food and more than $190,000 have been donated to local shelves in the U.S. Northeast and Midwest. In its eight years the Holiday Train program has played an important role in collecting more than three million dollars and over 1.6 million pounds of food to help feed North America’s hungry.
This year’s performers on the Holiday Train were Canadian rock band Wide Mouth Mason and singing star Lisa Brokop. Their mix of upbeat songs, rocking Christmas tunes and special moments with children at each stop made for glowing reviews from more than 150,000 people between Montreal, Quebec and Port Moody, British Columbia.
A second Holiday Train visited 40 communities in the Northeast and Midwest United States in support of hunger relief in America. U.S. Holiday Train entertainers included: Tracey Brown, Willy Porter and Kelly Prescott. An estimated 80,000 Americans took in the spirit and magic of the fundraising events as the train with its hundreds of thousands of lights rolled through the U.S.
Since launching in 1999, the Holiday Train magic, with its two trains that are each decked out with hundreds of thousands of bright lights and decorations, continues to grow as more communities request it to stop and perform. Final numbers for 2006 for both countries should be confirmed in early January.
About Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway is a transcontinental carrier operating in Canada and the U.S. Its 13,500-mile rail network serves the principal centers of Canada, from Montreal to Vancouver, and the U.S. Northeast and Midwest regions. CPR feeds directly into America’s heartland from the East and West coasts. Alliances with other carriers extend its market reach throughout the U.S. and into Mexico. Canadian Pacific Railway is marking its 125th anniversary in 2006. For more information, visit CPR’s website at: www.cpr.ca.
About the Canadian Association of Food Banks
Founded in 1985, the Canadian Association of Food Banks (CAFB) is a national umbrella organization representing a network of regional and community food banks, including provincial associations and food distribution centres. CAFB is the voice of food banks in Canada, with members and their agencies serving approximately 90 per cent of people relying on emergency food programs nation-wide. CAFB operates the National Food Sharing System, coordinating the shipment of food donations through voluntary transport to food banks across the country. In addition to food received from the CAFB, food bank members distribute an estimated 150 million pounds of food per year to the less fortunate in their communities. In March 2005, over 800,000 different people accessed food banks, including more than 300,000 children. While CAFB provides food daily for people in need, its ultimate goal is a hunger-free Canada.