Caltrain's 'Holiday Train' Collects Whopping 2,500 Toys for Local, Needy Children

SANTA CLARA COUNTY, CA – The holidays will be a little brighter this season for thousands of children thanks to the generosity of people who donated close to 2,500 toys during this year’s annual Caltrain Holiday Train, presented by Silicon Valley Community Foundation!

Approximately 25,000 people converged in early December on Peninsula train stations to see the glittering show train, hear holiday tunes, see Santa and his friends, and donate toys to children in need.

Nearly 2,500 toys and almost $2,500 was collected during Holiday Train weekend. Toys donated at stations benefit The Salvation Army Season of Sharing Program. A $15,000 donation made to the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve’s Toys for Tots program by the Holiday Train was able to purchase approximately 1,500 toys for the non-profit organization.

Since the first Holiday Train in 2001, more than 55,000 toys have been distributed to Bay Area children who otherwise might not receive gifts at Christmas.

Community support is a hallmark of the Holiday Train. Working at the San Francisco rail yard at Sixth and Townsend streets, volunteers spent every Saturday for two months decorating the train. Ambassadors at train stations helped pass out candy canes, programs and stickers. Local entertainers provided free entertainment at each station before the train arrived. Those people who volunteered to wear a holiday character costume were rewarded by the delighted response of the thousands of families who turned out for the event.

Financial considerations forced the Holiday Train to go “dark” in 2010. In 2012, Silicon Valley Community Foundation stepped up to bring the beloved tradition back to the Peninsula by donating the seed money to get it started again.

Also coming up in the area:

• Latke Contest at Whole Foods Market: Los Altos
• Winter Birds & Wildflowers - Coyote Lake Hike: Gilroy
• Fantasy of Lights Drive-Thru: Vasona Lake County Park. Los Gatos
• Outdoor Ice Skating: Santa Clara

--Information and image courtesy of Caltrain