Canadian railroad donates $1M to Sandy aid

CALGARY, Alberta, Nov. 14 (UPI) -- The Canadian Pacific freight rail company announced Wednesday it's donating $1 million to help victims of "Superstorm" Sandy that devastated the U.S. Northeast.

In a release from its Calgary, Alberta, headquarters, the company said it was donating $250,000 to the American Red Cross, $250,000 to the Mayor's Fund to Advance New York City and $250,000 to New Jersey Governor Christie's Hurricane Sandy New Jersey Relief Fund.

The balance of the pledge could easily surpass $250,000 as that's earmarked to match corporate and individual donations to member food banks of the Feeding America system as the railway runs specially decorated and brightly lit Holiday Trains from the Northeast to Midwestern states, the company said.

From Nov. 28 through Dec. 16, the trains will work westward making stops for celebrity shows from specially designed box cars and food and financial contributions will be collected.

Since 1999, the annual Holiday Trains project has raised almost $6.5 million and collected 2.6 million pounds of food for needy U.S. families.

Company President E. Hunter Harrison said the railroad had a moral obligation to help.

"CP and its employees believe that dedicating this year's Holiday Train to the spirit of neighbors supporting neighbors applies directly to disasters such as the one we have just experienced," he said.