CHICAGO — Canadian Pacific Railway’s US Holiday Train begins its spectacular 1,135-mile, seven-day journey near Chicago on Saturday, Dec. 8, taking the battle against hunger to 19 communities in Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota and Saskatchewan.
The eight-car freight train, decorated in about 4,000 red, white and blue Christmas lights, runs in partnership with food pantries, food shelves and food banks. The train will stop in towns and cities along CPR’s Midwest mainline, staging special events with local choirs and bands to raise donations and support for Americans who turn to food shelves and food pantries each month. Santa and his helpers will get off the train, distributing candy canes.
In addition to food and money collected along the way, CPR will donate $24,500 to Midwest food banks, food shelves and food pantries.
“The Holiday Train has become a Christmas tradition in communities across the CPR network,” CPR President & CEO Rob Ritchie said. “It’s a chance for our employees, families, customers and communities to come together to help people in need. The Holiday Train is about giving back to communities and bringing people together, especially in these difficult times.”
The US Holiday Train leaves CPR’s Bensenville yard at 11306 Franklin Park Ave. in Franklin Park, Ill., at 4:30 p.m. (CST) on Dec. 8. It will travel west on CPR’s mainline, stopping in 14 Midwest communities including Milwaukee, St. Paul, Minn., and Minot, N.D., before ending its journey in Moose Jaw, Sask., on Dec. 14 when it will meet the Canadian Holiday Train in a special ceremony.
The US Holiday Train is one of three featured in CPR’s expanded 2001 Holiday Train program. Another train will leave New York City on Dec. 5 and arrive in Montreal on Dec. 7. The Canadian train will leave Montreal the same day on a 15-day, cross-country journey and finish Dec. 21 in Port Coquitlam, BC, near Vancouver.
The Canadian Holiday Train helped collect 18 tons of food and about $500,000 (Cdn) for food banks in its previous two years.
Food banks have seen a growing number of working people asking for help, and in fact, often must ration food distribution to ensure nobody is turned away.
The US Holiday Train’s major sponsor is IMC Global Inc. of Lake Forest, Ill. Other sponsors include United Sugars Corp. of Moorhead, Minn., and Schneider National Inc. of Green Bay, Wis.
How to help
Bring cash or nonperishable food items to any Holiday Train event. All food and money collected will be left with the local food bank, food shelf or food pantry.
Canadian Pacific Railway is North America’s first transcontinental railway and is the only transcontinental carrier with direct service to the US Eastern Seaboard. CPR’s 14,000-mile network serves the principal centers of Canada, from Montreal to Vancouver, and the US Northeast and Midwest regions. Its track feeds directly into the Chicago hub from the East and West coasts. Alliances with other carriers extend CPR’s market reach beyond its own network and into the major business centers of Mexico.