OREANDA-NEWS. 150 communities in Canada and United States to experience the ‘train of lights’.

The 15th year of Canadian Pacific’s Holiday Train launches its annual rolling fundraiser in support of food bank programs along its network in Canada and the United States.

The 2013 CP Holiday Train program launches on November 25th in Kahnawake, Quebec, formally kicking off the three-week journey of two brightly decorated trains across Canada and the United States. The first U.S. fundraiser is in Scranton, PA, on November 26.

The two trains, each decorated with thousands of LED lights and festive designs, along with musicians entertaining from a converted box car stage will make stops in more than 150 cities, towns, and villages with free family shows until December 19th.

Performing on the Canadian train will be Melanie Doane, Jim Cuddy, Crystal Shawanda, and Doc Walker, while on the U.S. train, supporters will be entertained by The Claytones, Tracey Brown, and Willy Porter.

To further celebrate the train’s 15th anniversary and to raise awareness of this serious issue even further, CP has announced free signature concerts in Hamilton, ON, Calgary, AB, and Cottage Grove, MN, featuring Sheryl Crow, Sarah McLachlan, Tom Cochrane with Red Rider, The Tenors, Great Big Sea, Matt Dusk, Natalie MacMaster, and Take 6.

Every event is free, but attendees are asked to bring a cash or non-perishable food donation for their local food shelf. Everything raised at each event stays there for local distribution.

In addition to raising money and food for local food banks, Canadian Pacific will match all donations to the Breakfast Club of Canada and Feeding America during this year’s Holiday Train journey. People are encouraged to go to www.breakfastclubcanada.org in Canada and www.feedingamerica.org/holidaytrain in the United States to make a donation that CP in turn will match dollar-for-dollar. This matching program is above and beyond the donations made to community food shelves at each stop.

Since 1999, the Holiday Train program has raised USD 7.4 million and 3 million pounds of food for local food shelves.