In addition to facilitating local awareness and providing local family-friendly activities, the Pumpkin Patch Express and Santa Trains hosted by the Western Pacific Railroad Museum quite literally help feed the community.
Organizers report that it all started with the first Santa Train on Dec. 4, 1993, when a group of Feather River Rail Society volunteers decided to decorate trains with festive lights and offer free hot cocoa, coffee, and cookies to the community. As the event grew in popularity, so did the awareness about food scarcity in Portola, where the railroad museum is located. With this awareness, the society decided to offer an event admission discount with the donation of nonperishable food items so the local food bank, Eastern Plumas Community Assistance Network, could stock its shelves.
“In true Christmas spirit, we wanted to find a way to give back to our community,” said Eugene Vicknair, Feather River Rail Society secretary. “We knew our community struggled with the ability to provide food for their families, so the FRRS decided to offer an admission discount with the addition of nonperishable food.”
In the same spirit of giving, the Pumpkin Patch Express event was created in 2016. Admission was also discounted, cans were collected, and nonperishable food was once again provided to EPCAN. According to Dink Rife, EPCAN volunteer, it is estimated that 650 to 850 pounds of food is donated yearly from the Pumpkin Patch Express event and 800 to 1,000 pounds of food is donated from Santa Trains.
“In the short span of 10 months, we have served 3,944 clients (averaging 394 a month) and 1,635 households (averaging 163 a month),” she said. “EPCAN welcomes all unexpired donations of food as well as monetary donations.”
Even leftover pumpkins from the Pumpkin Patch Express event don’t go to waste: the extra pumpkins are packed into boxes and moved by forklift onto a truck for the animals at the Sierra Nevada Zoological Park in Reno, Nevada.
“Donating pumpkins to the Sierra Nevada Zoological Park is something we’ve done for years,” said Greg Elems, president of the Feather River Rail Society. “It’s yet another way our events help feed the community, even if they are on the wild side.”
A refuge for exotic animals, the Sierra Nevada Zoological Park provides a permanent, safe, and comfortable environment for all displaced exotic species. In addition to providing care for the animals, the zoo strives to bring top-quality educational and enriching experiences to visitors. According to Cheryl Jones, manager of the Sierra Nevada Zoological Park, “the donated pumpkins not only provide hours of
entertainment for the animals but offer an extra nutritional value to their meals.”
As the Santa Train rolls into town Friday and Saturday, Dec. 8 and 9, and Friday and Saturday, Dec. 15 and 16 (gate opens at 4 p.m.), visitors will not only enjoy pictures with Santa Claus, special exhibits, and free cookies and hot drinks but will also contribute much-appreciated gifts of food to families in need this holiday season.
For more information about the Western Pacific Railroad Museum, visit https://wplives.org. Learn more about the EPCAN food bank by calling (530) 832-4570 or stopping by 120 Nevada St. in Portola. For information about the Sierra Nevada Zoological Park, including park hours, visit https://www.sierranevadazoologicalpark.org.
Information submitted by Western Pacific Railroad Museum
