(The following story by Kathie Bassett appeared on The Alton Telegraph website on December 15.)
GODFREY, Ill. — Tightly bundled families braved the cold to greet Santa when he came to town Monday on the Holiday Express.
Arriving on the Kansas City Southern railroad, children and parents alike cheered as the colorful train pushed into the Pearl Street crossing a little before 4 p.m.
Hundreds showed up for the free, annual event to have their photo taken with the jolly man in the red suit and to tour the decorated boxcar and two cabooses.
Santa stepped out onto the platform and bellowed to the waiting crowd, “Ho-ho-ho! Merry Christmas!”
Mrs. Claus was at his side to greet visitors.
“Thanks for coming to my train,” Santa said.
Children paused to have their photos taken with Santa before proceeding to the two other cars.
“Santa is really cool,” said Zachary Long, 6, of Godfrey.
Older brother Deven Long, 9, agreed: “I like everything – especially the singing toys.”
“Wow! Look at the trains,” Connor Westbrock, 4, of St. Louis, said when he saw the double-car model train layout. Connor’s parents and his two older brothers, Mitchell, 6, and Spencer, 10, drove 90 minutes to see Santa’s arrival.
“Mitchell and Connor think that Santa and his helpers come on the train to see what kids want for Christmas,” said their mother, Melissa Westbrock.
Holiday celebrants also toured Santa’s Caboose, which displayed 280 Santa figurines. Elves gave youngsters goodie bags to take home.
Longtime train enthusiast Keith Sherman of Godfrey has coordinated the event for the past 22 years.
“The whole thing is for the kids,” he said. “We get a phenomenal turnout.”
This year, Sherman was helped out by his grandchildren, Jacob, 6, and Makayla Stahlschmidt, 8, of Alton.
“I really like the train,” Makayla said. “I come every year.”
Head elf Willis Kilpatrick of the Kansas City Southern railroad said, “We work with the Salvation Army. It’s our contact in each community because they know the children and families that really need help in the Christmas season.
“We collected over $126,000, so we divide these funds up among each city we stop at. This year, we’re giving 200 gift certificates worth $5,000 to the Alton Salvation Army to give to families,” Kilpatrick said. “Kansas City Southern believes we should give back to our communities. We appreciate our cities.”
“This is awesome,” said Capt. Randy Tooley of the Alton Salvation Army. “This donation is a big help for so many families in need. We’ll be able to help over 600 families this year.”
Liberty Bank also sponsored a canteen, from which the Salvation Army served hot chocolate and coffee.
Holiday revelers had an easier time with parking this year because nearby Lewis and Clark Community College provided off-site parking. To make this a truly family-friendly event, the Godfrey Women’s Club provided bus service to and from the Holiday Express. Alton Police Department cadets helped direct parking.
For more information about the Holiday Express, go to www.kcsouthern.com.