The 27th annual CPKC Holiday Train that pulled into Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows Friday night, had many coming from different communities to enjoy the music, see the lights, and donate to the Friends In Need Food Bank.
Abbotsford resident Jacinta Jimenez, was at the Holiday train with her husband and two daughters, 3 and 1.
Jimenez had seen the Holiday Train previously and said she loves coming out for the Christmas lights and the music.
The train is decked out in thousands of lights, with each car containing a different Winter scene.
Dan Pursley and his daughter Carter, 8, were among those who gathered along River Road, at the Port Haney West Coast Express Station for the event.
Carter was very excited to hear the music, although the only song she knew by the Barenaked Ladies was “If I had $1,000,000”.
Her father said they wanted to do something to celebrate the season and when they stumbled upon the event they decided to make the trek.
“I wanted to get out and do something. We didn’t get to the Santa Claus parade so I wanted to do something ‘Christmassy’,” Pursley said.
Neither had ever experienced the CPKC Holiday Train before.
Sandy Mackenzie of New Westminster had a front row view with her sister-in-law Christine Ahern of Maple Ridge.
Both were Barenaked Ladies fans.
Mackenzie, who had never experienced the train before, said she was at the event for the Christmas spirit.
“It’s amazing. It’s very exciting,” she said.
“Just the whole atmosphere of everything. It’s great,” added Ahern.
The train arrived at 7:50 p.m. at the Port Haney West Coast Express station and at 8:30, carried on to Pitt Meadows where another concert was held where the tracks cross Harris Road.
In Maple Ridge, when the main stage lowered, Ed Robertson, lead singer of Barenaked Ladies appeared, greeting the crowd that had gathered, and started the concert off with their unique version of “Jingle Bells”.
The group that included Robertson’s own son Lyle, who took the place of Jim Creeggan, who couldn’t make it, along with Kevin Hearn, and Tyler Stewart, belted out some classic Barenaked Ladies tunes as well including “If I Had $1,000,000” and the theme song to the “Big Bang Theory”.
Before the train arrived there was plenty of action taking place along River Road including: crafts for children, music, and hot chocolate.
Even Seal, general manager of the local food bank, was collecting donations at the event.
“I think the crowd’s amazing,” said Seal about the amount of people who already gathered before the event start time at 7 p.m.
“I think the Barenaked Ladies might have something to do with the crowd, but I think the weather is great and I think weather like this with no rain really helps bring people out,” he said.
Seal noted that the Friends In Need Food Bank really needs the support this year. He said they are really struggling.
But, people who came to the event opened their wallets raising $5,275 and another 2,150 pounds of non-perishable food items.
In Pitt Meadows $11,184 was raised for the food bank, including a $5,000 donation from the National Police Federation, arranged by Staff Sgt. Michelle Luca, head of the Pitt Meadows RCMP detachment. Another 950 pounds of food was also raised.
On stage in Maple Ridge, firefighters announced they raised $20,000 in cash at the annual Firefighters For Families donation drive on Saturday, Dec. 13, which they were splitting between the Friends In Need Food Bank and the Maple Ridge Pitt Meadows Christmas Hamper Society.
In the Pitt Meadows, the Firefighters For Families campaign raised $6,744 which will also be split between both charitable organizations.
Firefighters also collected toys and non-perishable food which they also donated.
CPKC will be donating $14,000 to the local food bank – $7,000 at the stop in Maple Ridge and another $7,000 at the stop in Pitt Meadows.
The CPKC Holiday Train has been visiting communities across Canada and the United States throughout November and December, raising food, money, and awareness for local food banks and food pantry organizations. There are two trains, one that primarily travels across Canada and the other primarily travels across the U.S.
Since its inaugural journey in 1999, the CPKC Holiday Train has raised more than $26 million and collected approximately 5.4 million pounds of food for community food banks in Canada and the U.S.
Mary Robson, executive director of the Friends In Need Food Bank, described the night as “amazing” and “a happening”.
“It couldn’t have been more perfect,” said Robson of the evening, noting the air was “crispy”, the rain held off, the entertainment was perfect, and Mike LoVecchio with the CPKC Holiday Train, and emcee for the evening, was also perfect.
Robson was thankful to the Barenaked Ladies for riding the holiday train this year and bringing out the crowds.
But, she wanted to remind people that in December people open up their hearts and their wallets, but donations drop right off come January.
“We thank everybody for their generosity and their caring at this time of the year, but, please remember that the hunger doesn’t stop at the end of December,” she said.