By David F. Rooney
The Canadian Pacific Railway’s Holiday Train rolled into town right on time Tuesday afternoon to the delight of a crowd of about 400 people who gathered at the CPR yard for the annual party.
This was a big day — an important day — for the Community Connections Food Bank.
“We received $4,000 from the Holiday Train,” said Patti Larson, the agency’s manager of outreach services and coordinator of the Food Bank service. “And there there’s all the food. Scores of people brougyht bags and parcels of food and gifts to the CPR yard where they were gratefully received by Community Connections Executive Director Gayle Morgan and other staff.
The crowd had a chance to scoff hot dogs cooked up by volunteer fire fighters and listen to the music of The Odds and Shaun Verreault of Wide Mouth Mason, who were among the entertainers on this year’s train.
The Holiday Train will have visited over 130 communities in six provinces and eight states before it ends its journey at port Moody on Dec. 18. In the last decade, the Holiday Train has helped raise $4 million and 2 million pounds of food for local food banks.
“In these tough economic times, 20% more Canadians are turning to food banks for support this year and 30% more Americans are at risk of hunger,” says a statement on the CPR website. “Hunger continues to be a problem and food banks need our help now more than ever.”
Here in Revelstoke there is a very real need for some people. (Please go to https://legacy.revelstokecurrent.com//2009/12/13/food-bank-donations-in-cash-and-food-down-this-year/ to find out how tough the situation is at the Food Bank.) Despite the tough times, and generally lower donations there are always local people who follow their conscience at this time of year. (Please go to https://legacy.revelstokecurrent.com//2009/12/15/revelstokians-celebrate-the-spirit-of-giving/ to see some of the folks who are helping out.)
Helping out can be fun as these scenes from the Holiday’s Train’s 30-minute stop over in Revelstoke show:
