For the 15th consecutive year the Canadian Pacific Railway’s Holiday Train made its annual stop in Annandale at 7:15 p.m. Wednesday Dec. 12.
Beginning in Montreal on Nov. 25, two trains travel throughout the U.S. and Canada, making stops in 164 communities along Canadian Pacific’s network.
The 1,000-foot train with hundreds of thousands of LED Christmas lights stopped at Annandale’s Oak Avenue railroad crossing and put on a half-hour show from a box car stage.
People from the around the area turned out in big numbers to greet the train. Annandale Police Chief Jeff Herr estimated the crowd to be about 2,500.
"No problems, great weather and everything went very well," Herr said.
Public safety personnel consisted of the Annandale Police Department, along with police reserves, Wright County Sheriff Reserves, Annandale Fire Department personnel and Canadian Railroad Police.
Willy Porter – the Trews
The crowd was entertained by Willy Porter, a singer, songwriter and accomplished finger-style guitarist,
Also performing were the rock band, the Trews. Based in Hamilton, Ontario, the Trews are a prolific, electrifying and innovative rock band.
Porter and the Trews played a mix of their own songs and familiar Christmas tunes.
Towards the end of the performance, Santa made an appearance on stage, much to the delight of the children in the large crowd.
More than $31,000 raised
Each December, for 20 years, the Canadian Pacific’s Holiday Train is the impetus for organizations across the northern United States and Canada to stock food shelves.
Annandale is no exception, the money raised accounts for 35 percent of the Annandale Food Shelf’s annual revenue.
In 2004, the first year of the train stopping in Annandale, the event generated $2,000 in cash and 365 pounds of canned goods.
While donations continue to come in, total donations exceed $31,000 for the 2018 Holiday Train event.
The total includes a $4,500 check from Canadian Pacific, about $1,000 collected at the event by the Annandale Lions, $800 from the Boy and Girl Scouts selling hot chocolate and cookies, and $24,000 from Anchor Dock and Lift’s Holiday Train party.
"We had a very good Holiday Train event," said Annandale Food Shelf President Ed Skomoroh. "Though the donations of cash are a little less, pounds are up and we couldn’t be happier."
Anchor Dock and Lift
Each year the Holiday Train visits, Anchor Dock and Lift hosts a party for their customers. Former owners, Don and Rose Mary Nelson, started the tradition in 2004.
According to Jefferson Bishop, the current owner of Anchor Dock and Lift, this year’s party drew about 150 customers and vendors. They raised $24,400 that night.
The Annandale business provides people attending the event a heated bus that drives people to a spot near the train stop that the police department reserves for them.
"M&M Express donates a heated school bus each year and Jeff Lundquist donates his time and skill to drive it," Bishop said.
Annandale Food Shelf
The Annandale Food Shelf is a volunteer organization, dedicated to serving the communities of Annandale, South Haven and Maple Lake, providing groceries to those families and individuals in need.
For more information about the Annandale Food Shelf visit their website, www.annandalefoodshelf.org.
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