The Holiday Train band’s day began with an early afternoon show on the platform of the Saratoga Amtrak station for the first of six-in-a-row shows. Julie Hoxsie, with the Economic Opportunity Council Food Bank, who was on stage to receive Canadian Pacific’s cheque, said they served a record 356 families last month. We’ve been told a number of times along our NEUS route that the need this year is greater than ever.
“It’s become an annual event”, Lynne Griffin said from behind the Food Bank donations table at Fort Edward, where the Holiday Train made its next stop. “The folks in town look forward to it every year”. Don Amorosi, a food bank volunteer, couldn’t agree more about the awareness the Holiday Train helps to generate. “It’s a gift to us each year.” he said.
Our third stop was in Whitehall , where, like in many towns across the United States
and Canada, the railroad runs through the centre of town. The stop was nestled between buildings and the crowd spilled down from the town’s main street onto the platform and somehow gave the performance a more intimate feeling. A little girl danced and danced in front of the stage and the gave back as much joy to the Holiday Train band as she received.
“Even in the worst of times music makes people happy”
Light snow was falling as we came to a stop in Ticonderoga, our fourth show for the evening. The Train makes this stop at a crossing in the middle of nowhere so you know it’s a dedicated crowd. The Ticonderoga area has a population of about 5,500 and according to the town’s supervisor, Bob Dedrik, it’s going to be very difficult in the Adirondacks this year. However, Bob drew himself back to the Holiday Train moment when he admitted that; “Even in the worst of times music makes people happy”.
For a tiny town, the Port Henry Food Pantry was doing a brisk business as the Holiday Train arrived. You know it’s a close-knit community when most of the people were greeted by their first names as they walked up to make a donation. Small town or not, the Holiday Train band put on their fifth-of-the-evening, big city show.
The Holiday Train rolled into Plattsburgh at 21:45 sharp on time for the last show of the night. Bruce Garcia, representing the Joint Council for Economic Opportunity, took to the stage having calculated that over the years, thanks to the Holiday Train -- and the Plattsburgh community, more than $12,000.00 and 3 tons of food had been generated. The crowd had to endure freezing rain, but it didn’t seem to dampen their spirits.
Bob K.
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