The Holiday Train brought lights and music, but the large crowd of locals brought food and funding for the needy.
That's what the Canadian Pacific Railway's cross-border Holiday Train is all about. The program as a whole raised more than $800,000 and 225,000 pounds of food during the three-week campaign in about 150 communities in Canada and the United States. Those are national totals, but all money and food raised at each location stayed in the area for local distribution.
Major Len Millar of the local Salvation Army was very pleased with the turnout at the Holiday Train, estimating there were about 400 people in attendance when the U.S. train made its stop in Estevan on Saturday.
In Estevan about $3,500 was raised with roughly $1,000 coming from North Portal. Local MP Ed Komarnicki and Mayor Gary St. Onge also made brief addresses to the crowd, while presenting Millar a cheque of $2,000 for the Salvation Army.
Another 1,600 pounds of food was donated, and Millar said the totals work out to about $2 per pound.
Millar said the generosity of spirit in Estevan never ceases to amaze him.
"I was a little worried about donor fatigue," he said, noting that the community has donated so much this year in an effort to help those who were impacted by the region's flooding. "I'm humbled that they continue to support our efforts here."
He noted that last year's December total of food donated to the Salvation Army was 3,000 pounds. This year, he said, they have already received 3,800 pounds of non-perishables.
"They're really giving it up this year."
Performing at the Estevan stop were musicians Willy Porter of Milwaukee and Sydney Grigg of Nashville.
The money donations also go toward the Christmas hamper drive. Millar said they have already been putting those together and distributing them. He added that people can still inquire about the hampers at the Salvation Army until Dec. 23. They will be sending out between 180 and 200 hampers this year.
The final stop for the Canadian train also came Dec. 17 in Port Moody, B.C.
