PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — Organizers are calling the Presque Isle Kiwanis Club’s first-ever Polar Express train ride a huge success.
Beaulieu said the organization is always looking for fund-raising ideas and this fit the bill perfectly.
“I saw billboards advertising the Polar Express train rides in New Hampshire and I thought it would be a wonderful thing to have in our area,” she said.
Upon returning from vacation, Beaulieu said she “immediately began researching our options and corresponded with representatives with Maine Northern Railway.”
Company officials were very receptive to the idea, according to Beaulieu.
“I pitched the idea to them and they generously donated the train service for the event. Our club formed a committee to organize the event and members of the club were very excited for this fundraiser because Kiwanis is focused on children, families and community, so the event tied all of that together,” she said.
Two rides were planned, with a total of 200 tickets sold per ride. Tickets sold for $20 each and went on sale in late October, only to sell out within a matter of days. The ride took place on Nov. 30, taking the tracks along Roberts Street in Presque Isle and traveling to Scopan Lake and back. The trip took a little over two hours and included beverages and treats for the passengers.
The majority of riders were parents and their children, with the youngsters enjoying a visit from Santa, who presented each child with a bell.
“The kids (son Hunter and daughter Abigail) had an amazing time. The Kiwanis Club did an amazing job organizing and executing the event,” said Allison Lisnik Reed, of Presque Isle. “The children were entertained with cookies and cocoa, singing, games and prizes, and, of course, Santa. It was a wonderful way to kick off the Christmas season.”
Each passenger car was decked out in holiday style, with Kiwanis members and volunteers taking on the roles of Santa’s helpers and more.
Beaulieu said the day would not have been possible but for the volunteers.
“Many thanks to the four Community Players for helping out with the Chef and Hobo roles and to Craig Green for being our conductor. We’d also like to thank Santa Claus for joining us at the event; he’s a favorite in the community and the children were so happy to have him there,” said Beaulieu.
Proceeds from the rides benefited the Kiwanis Club’s Christmas Basket project, among other things.
“We raised a total of $6,000 with this event. The funds will primarily be used for our Christmas food and toy event but any remaining funds will be used for other local charitable donations,” she said.
Beaulieu said club members were amazed at how quickly the rides sold out.
“We had hoped to have more seats available so the event didn’t sell out so quickly, but there are restrictions on how long the engineers can drive before they must take a mandatory break. It takes time to drive the train here from New Brunswick and back,” she said.
The Kiwanis Club would like to see this become an annual event, if certain details can be worked out.
“We would love to be able to host this event again in the future but it is a significant expense for the railway, so we’re brainstorming ways to make it more feasible so we can continue to offer it. If we can work something out, we’ll definitely be figuring out ways to accommodate more people, because we want everyone to have the opportunity to take a train ride with Santa,” said Beaulieu.
