26 November 2008
Holiday Train Returns to Airdrie
Airdrie Alberta - Once again this year, Canadian Pacific
Railway (CP) will be rolling through Airdrie with their holiday Train, a brightly lit, musical show that will stop in Nose Creek Park
on 13 Dec 2008, benefiting the Airdrie Food Bank.
The Holiday Train is a charitable program put on by CP, decorating a train, throwing a couple recording artists on board, and sending
them across the country, raising money for food banks nation wide.
The Holiday Train was started in 1999, and since its inception has raised approximately $3.5 million and collected more than 1.8
million pounds of food.
"It makes me proud to be an employee of Canadian Pacific Railway," says Breanne Feigel, spokesperson with CP and Holiday
Train volunteer. "I was lucky enough to be on the train four years ago for the first time, its such a great program for
communities. You can't help but want to be involved."
A major attraction of the Holiday Train is the musical talent that calls the train home for the three weeks, performing for hundreds
of thousands of people across the country.
This year, returning to the Holiday Train is Tracey Brown, an Ottawa Valley Country Music Hall of Famer, who has been a part of the
Holiday Train program for 8 years, including co-producing the stage show for the past 6 years.
"We have a 30 minute musical show, there is a lot of energy. We have some seasonal songs in there, and hopefully we can get
everybody singing along," said Brown. "It's the most amazing feeling to pull into town, the kids are freaking out, they are
just wild."
The 30-minute show is put on by Brown and will include a performance from Johnny Reid, who received the 2006 Canadian
Country Music Award for Rising Star of the Year.
The musical show, which is basically a five minute setup, followed by a donation to the community from CP, a 30 minute show, and then
departure asks that all those who are planning on attending should bring either cash donations or non-perishable food
items, all of which will stay in the community.
"Everything you bring stays in your community, nothing comes on the train with us, everything is collected and stays there,"
Brown said.
Feigel added that food banks are one of the best charitable organizations to donate cash to, due to their buying power, turning a $1
donation into $4 worth of food.
"You don't buy yourself that latte one day, and donate the $4 to the food bank, you are actually giving them $32 worth of
food," Feigel added.
Brown says that while the charitable benefits of the program are fantastic, she really enjoys the fact that herself and all the band
members travel and live as a group.
"Its rare that you have the opportunity to sit with your band guys for three weeks," Brown said. "We have the
opportunity to jam around the table and play games... that makes it pretty magical too."
Airdrie's stop will be on 13 Dec 2008 at Nose Creek Park, from 2:15 p.m. until 2:45 p.m.
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