(The following article by Heather Asiyanbi was posted on the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel website on December 17.)
STURTEVANT, Wisc. — Despite bitterly cold weather, hundreds of people gathered to welcome Santa and the 2005 Holiday Train to the Sturtevant Amtrak Depot and, in the process, significantly boosted the amount of money and food collected.
And even though Santa Claus was delayed by almost an hour, a good number of those folks stayed to enjoy live performances and view a locomotive wrapped in hundreds of thousands of Christmas lights.
The Holiday Train, sponsored by Canadian Pacific Railway to raise money and food for local food banks, travels through several states and across Canada. The visit Dec. 9 was the third year the train had stopped in Sturtevant.
It is precisely this type of giving at this time of year that Sturtevant Village President Steve Jansen says matters to the community.
“This has been a rough year for everyone,” he said. “But even through all the hardships and all the generosity our residents have been asked to give, they still come out to enjoy the event and give more.”
Dan Taivalkoski, executive director of the Racine County Food Bank, said there was a 58% increase in the amount of cash received and a 68% increase in the amount of food received. This year’s totals were 2,939 pounds of food and more than $1,700 in cash collected. “I was pretty surprised that so many people turned out since it was so cold,” he said. “But these are the same people who have turned out in the rain the last two years, so I’m grateful they came out this year, too.”
The Belle City Brass Ensemble performed before the train’s arrival, and volunteers from Bombardier helped distribute hot chocolate and coffee to the crowd.
With the addition of donations received from the Holiday Train visit and from local businesses that held food drives among their employees, Taivalkoski said, the food bank has enough to feed needy families through February.
But the need is always there, especially for a list of items termed the “Super 6.”
Canned meat, including tuna, and other canned goods such as pasta with meat, beef stew, and fruit and peanut butter are needed to help provide nutritionally balanced meals, he said.
Taivalkoski said a quick glance through the items brought in recently showed area residents are responding to this request.
It probably helps, too, that the products have been on sale at local grocery stores in recent weeks.
While a can of pasta with meat will sell for $1, Taivalkoski can stretch a $1 donation further.
The food bank distributes about 50,000 pounds of food a month. According to Taivalkoski, the bank is supported by several sources, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency, other federal and state grants, and private donations from residents and corporations.