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Santa's Best Friends Gather as Caltrain "Lights Up" Holiday Train
WHEN:
5 p.m. – 6 p.m., Friday, Dec. 3, 2004
WHERE:
San Francisco Caltrain Station, 4th & King streets
WHO:
A group of “rein-dogs” from the Urban Dog Walkers group will join Santa Claus at a
“train-lighting party,” when the lights for Caltrain’s fourth annual Trains for
Tots Special are switched on at 5 p.m.
Sporting Santa hats and toy-laden backpacks, the dogs will help kick off the weekend
toy drive by presenting Santa with the holiday train’s first toys. Passengers can
bring their own toy donations and enjoy refreshments while Santa and his canine elves
“paws” to offer season’s greetings.
WHAT:
Since 2001, Caltrain and the Golden Gate Railroad Museum have presented Trains for
Tots to help generate toy donations for the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve’s Toys for
Tots Program and the Salvation Army.
Decorated with more than 40,000 lights, the train will be visiting nine Caltrain
stations over two nights, Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 4 and 5. The train will stop at
each station for a 20-minute show, featuring a Salvation Army brass band and chorus,
while Santa, Mrs. Claus, Frosty and other characters get off the train to greet kids
and pose for pictures.
When they come to see the train, people are encouraged to bring a new, unwrapped toy
to donate. Since the inception of Trains for Tots, more than 13,500 toys
have been collected.
Urban Dog Walkers’ leader Laura Stewart said her group, which got its start raising
funds for breast cancer research, has been going to see the holiday train since 2002.
Stewart hopes the festively attired dogs will “put a smile on the face of harried
commuters” and encourage them to go to the holiday train station stops over the
weekend to donate a toy and experience the warmth and magic of the season.
Following is the schedule for the 2004 holiday train:
Saturday, Dec.4
Caltrain Station |
Arrival |
Departure |
San Francisco Terminal
at 4th & King streets |
4:30 p.m.* |
5:05 p.m. |
Burlingame Caltrain Station
California Drive and Burlingame Avenue |
5:37 p.m. |
5:57 p.m. |
Redwood City Caltrain Station
James Avenue and Franklin Street |
6:15 p.m. |
6:35 p.m. |
Menlo Park Caltrain Station +
Santa Cruz Avenue & Merrill Street |
7:05 p.m. |
7:25 p.m. |
Santa Clara Caltrain Station +
Railroad Avenue and Palm Drive |
7:55 p.m. |
8:15 p.m. |
Sunday, Dec. 5
Caltrain Station |
Arrival |
Departure |
San Francisco Terminal
at 4th & King streets |
4:30 p.m.* |
5:05 p.m. |
San Bruno Caltrain Station
Huntington at Sylvan avenues |
5:28 p.m. |
5:48 p.m. |
San Mateo Transit Center
First and Main streets |
6:01 p.m. |
6:21 p.m. |
California Avenue Caltrain Station
Park Boulevard and California Avenue |
7:11 p.m. |
7:31 p.m. |
Sunnyvale Caltrain Station
Evelyn Avenue and S. Francis Street |
7:43 p.m. |
8:03 p.m. |
The train is for display only. Trains may arrive up to five minutes ahead of
schedule.
+ Model railroad exhibits will be open at Menlo Park from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
and
at Santa Clara from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m.
* The holiday program in San Francisco begins at this time.
11/30/04
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