For media inquiries, please contact Grand Canyon Railway public relations at 928-773-1976 x2257 or PR AT thetrain.com.
WILLIAMS, Ariz. – Grand Canyon Railway will host 24 Arizona charities aboard the 6:30 and 8 p.m. Nov. 8 runs of The Polar Express™. In 2006, 7 different not-for-profit organizations traveled aboard The Polar Express Charity Train. This is the seventh year that the Railway has invited charities to participate and the second year that it has opened up the tickets to charities across Arizona. All Arizona charities had the opportunity to obtain tickets aboard The Polar Express™ charity train via a simple application process.
“Our charity train program celebrates the true spirit of Christmas,” said Gordon Taylor, general manager of Grand Canyon Railway. “It is a privilege to provide children and families that do not have the means an opportunity to enjoy the magic of the Polar Express, and we look forward to this year’s event.”
Not-for-profit organizations submitted applications through the month of August. Each organization provided information about its mission, the people it serves and why it deserved tickets aboard The Polar Express™ charity train. The Polar Express Committee then reviewed the applications and awarded tickets. Grand Canyon Railway is dedicating a little more than 1,000 seats to not-for-profit organizations this year.
Not-for-profits participating in the 2007 The Polar Express™ Charity Train include:
Grand Canyon Railway operates daily train service between Williams, Ariz., and the Grand Canyon. The Railway offers five distinct classes of service, as well as money-saving packages featuring the Grand Canyon Railway Hotel in Williams. Overnight stays at the Grand Canyon also can be included in the packages. Grand Canyon Railway is an authorized concessioner of the National Park Service and the U.S. Forest Service. For more information, visit www.thetrain.com or call 1-800-THE-TRAIN (1-800-843-8724).
The Grand Canyon Railway is operated by Xanterra Parks & Resorts.
Xanterra Parks & Resorts® (consisting of Xanterra Parks & Resorts, Inc. and Xanterra South Rim, L.L.C.) operates lodges, restaurants and other concessions at national parks and state parks and resorts. Xanterra Parks & Resorts is the country’s largest park concessioner. Xanterra operates concessions in the following locations: Yellowstone, the North Rim of Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon, Zion, Crater Lake, Death Valley, Rocky Mountain and Petrified Forest National Parks, and Mount Rushmore National Memorial; and at the Silverado Resort in Napa, Calif.; Gideon Putnam Resort and Spa in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. and eight Ohio State Parks. Its affiliate Xanterra South Rim, L.L.C. operates concessions at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. Xanterra operates the Grand Canyon Railway in Williams, Ariz.
Long committed to the preservation and protection of the environment, Ecologix, Xanterra Parks & Resorts’ environmental program, includes a variety of proactive environmental stewardship programs in each location. Xanterra has been repeatedly recognized for its environmental leadership in the hospitality industry and is the recipient of many honors, including major awards from the U.S. Department of the Interior, Environmental Protection Agency, Travel Industry Association, Colorado Department of Public Health, State of Arizona, Arizona Department of Environmental Quality and Utah Department of Environmental Quality.
For more information about Xanterra, links to individual properties and reservations numbers, visit www.xanterra.com.
Media contact:
Mona Mesereau
(1) 720-842-5271
mona_mesereau@msn.com