One in 10 adults goes to bed hungry, one in seven children goes hungry and people over 55 are the fastest-growing group battling hunger in Minnesota.
East Side Neighborhood Services’ (ESNS) food shelf programs target seniors’ needs, so CP Rail’s $15,000 check — presented to Kristine Martin of ESNS (in yellow in the photo, with State Senator Kari Dziedzic on the left end) — was as welcome a sight as the Canadian Pacific Holiday Train Dec. 9.
Land-O-Lakes matched pound for pound, food donations brought to the site, Lions Park at the intersection of three cities; Minneapolis, St. Anthony and Columbia Heights at 37th and Stinson.
People came from as far away as Brooklyn Park and Chisago City to see the decorated train. All were invited to post photos to a contest for a chance for a group of four to ride the train next year (and have $1,000 donated to your local food bank). http://www.cpr.ca/holiday-train/photo-contest.
The floodlit scene, with roaring fires, hot cocoa under tents, and a food donation truck, went dark moments before the train’s whistle signaled its impending arrival.
This was its only stop in Minneapolis on its way through the US and Canada; it had been to Cottage Grove earlier in the evening and would be in three western suburbs on Sunday. Country rockers Terri Clark, Dallas Smith, and Kelly Prescott sang holiday songs and two of Clark’s hits, “Poor Poor Pitiful Me” and “Better Things to Do.”
Three generations of family members showed up to the Holiday Train. John Hensel, a resident of St. Anthony since 1976, said his grand daughters Avery and Cora (with parents Karl and Jennifer) grew up in California and have been here for two years now. This is their second year seeing the train. “We love it!” exclaimed the girls.
Below: Scenes from 2017’s Holiday Train stop. (Photos by Mike Madison)
