The CPKC Holiday Train Simmesport stop on Dec. 3 brought the Canadian Pacific Kansas City Southern (CPKC) Holiday Train to the North Live Oak crossing near the Piggly Wiggly, as reported by Avoyelles Today. It was the train’s only stop between Baton Rouge and Pineville.

This is reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.

CPKC Holiday Train Simmesport stop raises $7,000+
Photo: www.avoyellestoday.com

With railcars glowing in holiday lights and a fold-out stage ready to open, Avoyelles Parish residents gathered for music, seasonal displays, and a community-focused event built around giving.

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CPKC Holiday Train Simmesport stop features live performers

Once the stage unfolded, country artists Dylan Marlowe and Emily Ann Roberts played a free concert for the crowd. The community also presented both performers with “Simmesport Reeboks” as a local sign of thanks.

The CPKC Holiday Train is a seasonal tradition that has run for more than two decades in Canada and now the United States, as previously covered by Railway Supply. At each stop, the Holiday Train encourages attendees to bring food or monetary donations while CPKC makes its own contribution.

Food Bank of Central Louisiana donation supports local hunger relief

Support for families in need remained at the center of the Simmesport visit. CPKC made a Food Bank of Central Louisiana donation of $3,000, and other supporters added $4,000. The Louisiana State Medical Society Alliance and the Avoyelles Medical Society and Alliance were among those contributing, bringing the overall total to more than $7,000.

Dr. Rose Kuplesky, President of the State Medical Society Alliance, said, “Healthcare extends beyond medicine. It includes the love and care we give to one another. Small acts of love and giving can make a big difference in someone’s life.”

Christmas Cheer Food Drive tie-in across central Louisiana parishes

Organizers thanked Canadian friend Shane Carmichael for spearheading the stop and said they hope it becomes a yearly tradition for Simmesport. Former Simmesport Councilman at Large Jacob Coco summed up the mood: “What a great afternoon in Simmesport today.”

The stop also aligned with the Food Bank of Central Louisiana’s annual Christmas Cheer Food Drive, sponsored by the Tunica Biloxi Tribe and coordinated through schools across five central Louisiana parishes, including Avoyelles.

Since its inaugural run in 1999, the Holiday Train initiative has raised more than $26 million and collected over five million pounds of food for community food banks in Canada and the United States, according to the CPKC Holiday Train program page. Simmesport’s turnout and this year’s fundraising results reflected the level of local support behind the event.

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