Operation North Pole Wraps A Metra Train For Critically Ill Children

From Operation North Pole: DES PLAINES, IL - Operation North Pole (ONP) once again shares the magic of Christmas, and all the joy it brings, with 71 families who have a child suffering from life-threatening or terminal illnesses by taking them on a fanciful train ride on Saturday, December 10, 2016. This very special train ride will depart the Des Plaines Metra station at 11:20 a.m.

In this their eighth year of delighting families, ONP is wrapping the exterior of a Metra train, including the locomotive and all five passenger cars, with holiday colors and images of Christmas. ONP is the first organization in the Chicago area to wrap a holiday train and locomotive for the purpose of providing families who have children battling life-threatening illnesses with the fantasy of traveling to the North Pole to visit Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus. The train cars will remain wrapped for the remainder of the holiday season, delighting young and old as they whisk by on Metra’s Union Pacific lines this winter.

What a magical trip to the North Pole it will be! The media is invited to attend and experience the excitement as families board the train in Des Plaines for a non-stop journey to the Pingree Road station in Crystal Lake. The train ride includes activities led by Mrs. Claus, Mr. Conductor, entertainers, Santa’s Helpers, therapy dogs, firefighters from the North Pole Fire Department, and police officers from the North Pole Police Department. On the return ride to the “North Pole” Train Station (downtown Des Plaines), firefighters, police officers, and well-wishers of all ages will be out with fire engines and police cars, and will be dressed in holiday attire holding up signs with arrows reading “North Pole this way!”

The public is invited to join the cheerers at any of the below-indicated train stations or rail crossings on Metra’s Union Pacific Northwest Line as the train slowly rolls-by.

The times shown are estimates, and cheerers are encouraged to arrive 10-15 minutes early:

12:10 Pingree Rd Station in Crystal Lake

12:15 Cary Train Station

12:18 Fox River Grove Train Station

12:24 Barrington Train Station

12:28 Baldwin Rd Crossing near Palatine

12:31 Palatine Train Station

12:33 Rohlwing Rd Crossing near Rolling Meadows

12:35 Arlington Park Train Station

12:38 Arlington Heights Downtown Train Station

12:43 Mount Prospect Train Station

12:46 Cumberland Train Station in Des Plaines

Once back at the “North Pole” train station, the families will board buses and parade to Santa’s Winter Wonderland at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont. Greeting his guests as they arrive at the “North Pole,” Santa will lead the families through his Gauntlet of Honor, where dozens of police officers and firefighters from Chicago-area communities bend on one knee, clapping, giving high-fives in recognition of the courage these families exhibit each day as they battle life threatening illnesses. The families then enter into the 26,000 square foot north ballroom which has been transformed into a child’s sugar-plum dream. Activities include a dance floor with snow machines, games, snacks, a hockey rink, a beauty salon with fashion show runway, a mustache area, ballet dancers, singers, therapy dogs, therapy miniature horses, a model railroad complete with a wrapped replica of the wrapped train the families rode in, a “candy cane lane” with thousands of pounds of candy, and much more. Each family visits with Santa, and each child aged 12 and younger will receive wrapped gifts selected from wish lists they wrote to Santa earlier in the year. This is truly a day of magical moments for each family.

Children participating in this incredible day are referred to ONP by child life specialists from area children’s hospitals and directors from area Ronald McDonald Houses. It is a day free from the worry and stresses of hospital stays and medical treatments; a day to just be a child at Christmas. With the emotional and financial stresses that a family with a child battling a life-threatening or a terminal illness may face, ONP makes sure that all of the children in the immediate family participate and share in the joyful festivities. 321 family members are participating in this year’s special day.

To learn more about ONP and how the public can support this worthy cause through donations or by volunteering, visit www.operationnorthpole.org.

About Operation North Pole

Operation North Pole (ONP) is a volunteer-based public charity. ONP works with Chicago’s major children’s hospitals, providing a day of fun and fantasy for families who have a child battling a life threatening illness by hosting a fantasy trip to the North Pole. With the emotional and financial stresses a family with a child battling a life-threatening or a terminal illness may face, ONP makes every effort to ensure that the entire family participates and shares in the day's festivities. The magical experience includes, breakfast, a festive train ride to the North Pole, a visit with Santa, winter wonderland fun, entertainment, treats, personal wish list gifts, and much more! It's ONP's goal to provide these families an unforgettable experience amidst very challenging times.

While Operation North Pole will continue to host this cornerstone holiday event, the organization has expanded to a “Twelve Months of Christmas” schedule. Fundraising events to support their mission are hosted all year round, including Operation Taste, a culinary event scheduled for February 6, 2017, that will feature an array of Chicago’s top chefs. Over the past few winter season, ONP has also distributed thousands of winter coats, hosted emergency blood drives, performed services for residents of the Ronald McDonald House, and hosted numerous other charitable events. This year ONP has also partnered with the American Red Cross of Greater Chicagoland to provide winter coats to those who have suffered losses of personal belongings due to fires in their homes during the winter months.

Image via Operation North Pole