Holiday Train Returning to Sturtevant

The Holiday Train from CP Rail will once again stop in Sturtevant, according to an announcement from Village President Steve Jansen.

Started in 1999, the train travels across several states and Canada to help raise money, food and awareness of local food banks. The train stopped in Sturtevant every year for about 10 years before detouring to Milwaukee instead in 2011.

While a schedule is not yet available on the CP Rail website, Jansen said in an email that he spoke with a CP Rail representative who confirmed the train will visit Sturtevant in 2012.

"Many of us that have been involved with this effort in the past know that is a great community event, not just for Sturtevant, but for the region," he wrote.

Patch spoke with Christine Short, who helps organize the event, and she said the train is tentatively scheduled to put into the Sturtevant Depot on Dec. 8 at 5:55 p.m.

"We'll arrive when it's dark so the train will be fully lit up," she said. "We're happy to return to Sturtevant to help give back to the communities we travel through every day."

Jansen also encouraged board members and the entire community to get involved to raise as much money and food as possible for neighbors in need.

"Let us all reach out to those that can help and be a positive participant in this truly holiday and heartfelt event to help those that need the help," he continued.

Dan Taivalkoski, executive director of the food bank, was happily surprised.

"That is really good news," he said.

When it was announced in 2011 that the Holiday Train wasn't stopping, a group of community leaders from Mount Pleasant and Sturtevant - led by South Shore Fire Chief William Bouma - organized a holiday food drive in its place. Santa arrived on a fire truck, and residents came together to raise over 1,600 pounds of food and over $1,000 in cash. CP Rail donated another $1,000 for the food bank.

That same group was working on having another community food drive in lieu of the Holiday Train. It is unclear if there will be two events, but Taivalkoski thinks if the dates work out, two community food drives would be great to help families throughout Racine County.

"I think two events would be awesome if the dates work out," he said.