Hundreds upon hundreds of adults and children huddled in the cold, enjoying the first snow of the year while waiting for the holiday train to arrive at Viking Park in Gurnee on Monday.
Moments earlier, children were making snowballs, coloring pictures beneath a tent and accompanying their parents as they handed packages of paper goods, canned foods and other items to donate to the Northern Illinois Food Bank. Upbeat holiday music played through speakers.
At 3:50 p.m., on schedule, a nearly 1,000-foot-long train with 14 rail cars arrived, decorated with thousands of lights and holiday designs. The crowd cheered; a car door soon opened, and a half-hour rock-and-roll holiday concert entertained participants just as the sun set.
For 18 years, the Canadian Pacific Railway has hosted the event to raise money, food and awareness for local food banks. Since the end of November, two trains traveled throughout the U.S. and Canada, giving 150 shows at various stops. The train stopped in Gurnee Monday en route to Milwaukee.
Each year, the railway has donated funds to food pantries, including the Northern Illinois Food Bank, which will receive $7,500 this year, said Monica Marr, who works at the food bank’s Park City office.
“This large community event makes people aware of our services and that there are hungry neighbors who live by them,” she said.
Even by 2:30 p.m., more than an hour before the train arrived, people were bringing in food and monetary donations, she added.
“The food will be out in the local pantries this week,” Marr said, adding that people also made cash donations. “For every dollar they donate, we can purchase $8 worth of groceries.”
Last year, according to Marr, local residents donated about $1,800 during the holiday train visit in addition to the railway’s monetary gift.
Jennifer Popowitch of Mundelein brought her two children, Lucy, 1, and Tom, 3, to the event.
“I love trains,” said Tom as he walked the path to get to where the train would soon be arriving.
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Just behind them, Kim Arnold of Libertyville and Shannin Greco of Lindenhurst, who work at a Gurnee orthodontist office, lugged bags of paper goods and other item patients had donated to the office over the past two months.
Arnold said the orthodontists, Terry Sellke and Donald Reilly, offered free replacement retainers for patients who lost them in exchange for donations to bring to the Gurnee holiday train event.
“It makes the kids feel like they are part of helping others,” said Arnold. “They learn about giving back.”
Those who donated food and money received a free ticket to get pizza, cookies and drinks while waiting for the train. The food was donated by local businesses, said Dan Kloczkowski, chairman of the Gurnee Chamber of Commerce.
“It’s a great event for the village, and it’s all for a good cause,” he said.
“People who are hungry will get food,” said Kent Coffland, who volunteered to accept donations at the event. “This makes people feel good about the holidays.”
The holiday train program has raised more than $9 million and more than 3.9 million pounds of food since it began in 1999, according to the Canadian Pacific Railway.
Sheryl DeVore is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.