12/13/03
Chicago Transit Board Chairman Carole L. Brown, with the help of Santa and his elves, made a special holiday delivery today at the Chicago Transit Authority's Ashland station on the Green Line. The chairman and other CTA officials rode in to the station on the CTA's specially-decorated Holiday Train to distribute food baskets to five local organizations. CTA officials will distribute more than 400 holiday food baskets via the Holiday Train to local organizations throughout the service area this season.
?The Holiday Train gives us an opportunity to spread the cheer and spirit of the season and to thank our customers and neighbors," said Brown. ?In addition, the train helps the CTA provide an important community service."
Money donated by CTA employees was used to purchase the groceries that made up the food baskets, which were assembled by CTA employees. Each food basket contained all the trimmings for a complete meal including: a five-pound canned ham, yams, muffin mix, macaroni and cheese, mixed vegetables, rice, sweet peas, apple sauce, fruit punch and cookies.
Decorated with thousands of lights, the six-car train features a flat car in the middle that carries Santa and his reindeer. Car interiors are decked out with bows, garland, red and green lighting and hand poles wrapped to look like candy canes. The exterior is wrapped in a vinyl material depicting a holiday theme.
Baskets were presented today to representatives of Healthy Families, James Jordan Boys and Girls Club, Hull House Association, First Baptist Congregational Church and Nana's Garden.
# # #