Canadian Pacific Railway’s annual Holiday Train program helped to raise more $1.2 million in donations in 2016 and nearly 115,000 kilograms of food in support of food banks across North America, the company announced this week.
The annual program, now in its 18th season, has now raised more than $13 million and collected more than 1.8 million kg of food since its inaugural run in 1999.
“With the need for food banks continually increasing in both Canada and the U.S., the importance of the CP Holiday Train program in the community is also increasing,” Hunter Harrison, CP’s chief executive officer, said in a Dec. 22 news release.
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“Beyond food and monetary donations, the CP Holiday Train generates goodwill, raises spirits and helps people start the holidays off on the right foot. We thank the communities across our network for supporting the program and giving back to their neighbours.”
CP’s Holiday Train program is an annual fundraising event that sends decorated trains across Canada and the United States.
Along their routes, the holiday trains raising money, food and awareness for food banks and hunger issues.
The trains also host free holiday concerts at several locations along the route.
This year’s concert schedule featured Dallas Smith, the Odds, Kelly Prescott, Doc Walker, Colin James and Jonathan Roy.
In addition to collecting monetary donations and food, CP also provides $250,000 worth of in-kind transportation services to Food Banks Canada in support of the National Food Sharing Service program.
“We are grateful for the in-kind support that CP provides to Food Banks Canada through transportation resources and the direct monetary donations it gives to communities through the Holiday Train program,” said Katharine Schmidt, executive director of Food Banks Canada.
“CP’s history as a Food Banks Canada partner is a long and collaborative one and we look forward to the future.”
Each holiday train is about 1,000 feet long and has 14 rail cars decorated with hundreds of thousands of lights and a modified boxcar that has been turned into a travelling stage for performers.
Contact brian.cross@producer.com
