Travel to Vancouver for the day in exchange for a new, unwrapped toy or cash donation for a family in need this holiday season.
The West Coast Express Santa Train will be rolling into town on Saturday, Dec. 14.
It will be departing from Port Haney Station at 10:19 a.m., Maple Meadows Station at 10:25 a.m., and from Pitt Meadows at 10:29 a.m.
Families can hop aboard the festive train for free by donating new toys or cash in exchange for a Compass DayPass.
Volunteers will be at each train station collecting the donations. Those who participate will get a ride to Waterfront Station where they will also catch the return train at 4 p.m. the same day, getting back to Pitt Meadows Station at 4:44 p.m., Maple Meadows Station at 4:48 p.m., and Port Haney Station at 4:54 p.m.
In the concourse at Waterfront Station there will be live music and entertainment all day long, and the mascots for the Vancouver Christmas Market, Holly and Jolly, will be at the station as well, handing out coupons with discounts for the market based on availability.
Donations for the Santa Train will benefit the communities served by the West Coast Express including the Maple Ridge Pitt Meadows Christmas Hamper Society.
Last year there were two events, with more than 6,000 customers taking the festive train in both directions, and donating 2,249 toys, and more than $2,800 dollars.
TransLink has also unleashed its Reindeer Bus fleet across Metro Vancouver.
Donations will be accepted on the iconic, red-nosed reindeer buses will collect and deliver toys to families in need as part of the Toys for Tots program.
Each year, toys and cash donations are collected from staff at Coast Mountain Bus Company, BC Rapid Transit Company, HandyDART, Transit Police, and TransLink offices, and delivered to the Lower Mainland Christmas Bureau.
New this year, customers will be able to track their favourite Reindeer Bus when they’re in service by using the Reindeer Bus tracker.
“Our Reindeer Buses and Santa Train are a beloved holiday tradition,” explained TransLink CEO Kevin Quinn. “We’re proud to support local charities and I encourage everyone to donate and take part in spreading joy and making the season brighter for those in need.”
Now in its 39th year, the Toys for Tots program is set to reach a milestone of donating 100,000 toys to the Lower Mainland Christmas Bureau.
Executive Director for the Lower Mainland Christmas Bureau Chris Bayliss noted that the Toys for Tots program has helped thousands of families create special holiday memories for nearly 40 years.
“Every donation matters, and we’re thrilled to work with TransLink to deliver these gifts to families in need.”
Over the years, 97,756 toys and more than $56,660 have been collected and donated through the Toys for Tots program.
The routes the Reindeer Bus travel will vary each day based on scheduling by elves, who do all the decorating, at each bus depot.
Customers who would like to donate to Toys for Tots can drop off unwrapped toys at the following locations until Thursday, December 19:
• TransLink Customer Service Centre at Waterfront Station
• SkyTrain Customer Assistance Counter at Commercial–Broadway Station
• Lonsdale Quay SeaBus Terminal.
