/EMBARGOED UNTIL: 9 p.m. Pacific Time, December 17, 2010/ Reaches another fundraising milestone as communities in Canada and United States experience 'train of lights' PORT MOODY, BC, Dec. 17 /CNW/ - The 2010 CP Holiday Train has reached another milestone as the program completed its 12th year as North America's long-running food bank fundraiser. On Friday night, CP announced the Holiday Train has surpassed the $5 million mark in total funds raised since the program was launched. With last-minute donations still coming in, the rolling fundraiser's preliminary cash totals from its three-week journey across the U.S. and Canada stand at more than $700,000 thanks to large crowds and supportive communities along the route. When combined with the $80,000 raised from sales of the CD, 'Holiday Train Tracks' at events, the monetary total now stands at $5.6 million since 1999. "All of us with the CP Holiday Train are proud of how we have been able to act as a catalyst for thousands of Canadians and Americans to so strongly help their neighbors who may need support through a food bank," said CP President and CEO, Fred Green. "Whether it is Scranton, Cartier, Milwaukee, Pingree Grove, Swift Current, Red Deer, or Port Moody, each year the Holiday Train's goal of feeding our communities grows stronger." In addition to cash, preliminary totals for the amount of food collected comes in at 150 thousand pounds, which places the 12-year total at 2.45 million pounds. Starting in late November, two brightly decorated freight trains, each decorated with hundreds of thousands of lights and a special box car transformed into a stage, travelled to more than 140 communities in eight U.S. states and six Canadian provinces to help raise money and food for local food shelves. Everything that was raised in each community remained in that community for local distribution. Melanie Doane headlined the U.S. Tour, while The Odds entertained on the Canadian train. Something else that added even more energy to the 2010 CP Holiday Train was with the Program's first-ever animated YouTube music video in which MC Elfie and Santa both rap about the Holiday Train: http://www.youtube.com/holidaytrain. The Holiday Train Tracks CD is still available for purchase on iTunes with all proceeds going to support food banks. In the first 11 years of the Holiday Train, $4.8 million dollars and 2.3 million pounds of food had been donated.
Canadian Pacific
CONTACT: Media Contact: U.S. Holiday Train, Mike LoVecchio, 778 772-9636,
416 814-0948 24/7 Media Pager, mike_lovecchio@cpr.ca
