CALGARY, Dec. 21, 2018 /CNW/ - The Canadian Pacific
(CP) Holiday Train has completed its 20th festive
journey and has given communities across North America reason to celebrate in support
of the important work of local food banks. While final numbers are
still being calculated, the program is on track to raise more than
C$1.3 million and collect over
200,000 pounds of food for local food banks and food shelves.
The Holiday Train has now raised more than C$15.8 million and collected 4.5 million pounds
of food since its inaugural journey back in 1999.
"To run a charitable program of this magnitude for 20 years is a
tremendous accomplishment for our CP family, and a testament to our
dedication to giving back to the communities where we work and
live," said Keith Creel, CP
President and CEO. "It is our privilege to continue to partner with
food banks across our network to share food, funds and holiday
cheer, year after year."
The 2018 CP Holiday Train featured a highly acclaimed musical
lineup. The U.S. train kicked off with the Juno Award winning Sam
Roberts Band and JoJo Mason
performing at stops in Quebec,
New York and Ontario. Hit makers The Trews and Willy Porter hopped on board to complete the
U.S.-bound train's voyage. On board the Canadian train, recent
Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame inductee Terri Clark was joined by Kelly Prescott and Sierra Noble as they entertained communities
from Montreal to Calgary, where the Sam Roberts Band replaced
Clark to finish the tour to the west coast.
In addition to the local food banks that benefit from the
Holiday Train, CP has been an active partner of Food Banks Canada
since 1997, before the CP Holiday Train began. Each year, CP
provides Food Banks Canada $250,000
worth of in-kind transportation services to support its National
Food Sharing Service program. This year, with the donation of a CP
TempPro refrigerated storage and transport system, Food Banks
Canada was able to move a million pounds of food that included
fresh, frozen and perishable items by rail.
"Our partnership with CP is invaluable, especially during the
holidays, and the CP Holiday Train is such a fun way to raise food
and funds," said Chris Hatch, CEO,
Food Banks Canada. "CP plays an important part in transporting the
food that is collected and shared across Canada. Fresh foods are an important part of
food banking and CP's infrastructure system allows us to help
fulfill the goal of more dietary choices for food bank
clients."
The Capture the Spirit photo contest received over a thousand
great entries. It closed today and six winners will each be awarded
a CP prize pack, including a ride on the 2019 CP Holiday Train and
a $1,000 donation to a local food
bank.
Even though the 20th year of the CP Holiday Train is
wrapped, CP's Spotify playlist, 20 songs for 20 years, is still
available. The playlist features four songs from this year's
musical talents: Terri Clark,
Kelly Prescott, Tyson Venegas, JoJo Mason and Willy Porter who played their festive songs to
audiences young and old. Blue Rodeo, Alan
Doyle, Emma-Lee and Odds are also featured on the
playlist.
Facebook /HolidayTrain
Twitter @CPHolidayTrain
Instagram @CPHolidayTrain
For additional information, photos, a route map and downloadable
pictures of the two trains, visit
http://www.cpr.ca/holiday-train
About Canadian Pacific
Canadian Pacific is a
transcontinental railway in Canada
and the United States with direct
links to major ports on the west and east coasts. CP provides North
American customers a competitive rail service with access to key
markets in every corner of the globe. CP is growing with its
customers, offering a suite of freight transportation services,
logistics solutions and supply chain expertise. Visit cpr.ca to see
the rail advantages of CP.
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SOURCE Canadian Pacific