The Canadian Pacific Kansas City Holiday Train has once again delivered vital support to communities across North America, raising over $1.75 million and collecting more than 130,000 pounds of food for local food banks in Canada and the United States.
Since its launch in 1999, the Holiday Train program has raised $26.1 million and gathered over 5.4 million pounds of food, cementing its role as a key contributor to food security in the region.
“I am continually amazed with the excitement and enthusiasm the Holiday Train generates during its annual journey across North America as it celebrates the holiday season while supporting local communities and charities,” said CPKC CEO Keith Creel in a press release.
“Thank you to the thousands of individuals, young and old, who joined us this year to see the Holiday Train during its magical trip and gave so generously to support local organizations helping those in need.”
This year, the train embarked on a four-week journey, visiting numerous communities across Canada and the U.S. Along the way, it held live musical performances at each stop.
Professional musicians performed free of charge, entertaining attendees while encouraging donations of money or food to local food banks.
In addition to the train’s extensive North American tour, CPKC extended the spirit of the season to Mexico with its Tren Navideño.
This initiative visited nine communities in Mexico to deliver gifts to struggling communities.
CPKC is headquartered in Calgary, Alta. and spans across Canada, the United States and Mexico for nearly 20,000 miles.
Foodbank usage has skyrocketed across Canada over the past five years. A recent report by Food Banks Canada found that visits to food banks are up 90% since 2019.
This year the number of visitors accessing food banks has increased by an estimated 6% when compared to last year.
