Kansas City Southern announced in September that it would celebrate the 21st anniversary of its KCS Holiday Express program with a fundraiser to benefit The Salvation Army in 21 communities on its U.S. rail network.

To date this year, the KCS Holiday Express project has raised nearly $120,000 for this cause. The company is now issuing a challenge grant to raise even more. 

“I am proud to announce that KCS will donate $2 for every $1 raised by the Holiday Express project, up to an additional $100,000, between Nov. 30 and Dec. 10, 2021,” said KCS president and CEO Patrick J. Ottensmeyer. “Please consider a gift to help The Salvation Army keep hope marching on for families in need.” 

The 21 communities that will receive the funds KCS raises for The Salvation Army include Kansas City and Slater, Mo.; East St. Louis, Ill.; Pittsburg, Kan.; Ashdown and Mena, Ark.; Poteau and Stilwell, Okla.; Houston, Laredo, Port Arthur, Victoria and Wylie, Texas; Baton Rouge, DeQuincy, Gonzalez and Shreveport, La.; and Corinth, Jackson, Meridian and Vicksburg, Miss. 

KCS issued special thanks to major sponsors to date, including Bartlett, a Savage Company; Deanne Porter and Patrick Ottensmeyer Family Foundation; Haverty Family Foundation; Husch Blackwell; Jim and Janet Kennedy Charitable Trust and Google; Kansas City Southern Historical Society; Mi-Jack Products; RailPros; Watco; and ZA Construction. A complete list of sponsors can be seen on the KCS website.

“It is not too late for your contribution to be recognized and for you to be listed among these generous individuals and organizations,” KCS said in a recent news release.

Over 20 years, the charitable component of the KCS Holiday Express project has raised well over $2.6 million. Anyone interested in making a tax-deductible contribution to the 2021 KCS Holiday Express fundraising campaign may do so at https://donate.salarmymokan.org/KCSHolidayExpress2021. 

In the first 19 years, the KCS Holiday Express train stopped in 20 or more communities in five or six states between Thanksgiving and Christmas. At each stop, visitors could board the train, meet Santa and his elves and tour the inside of three cars of the festive six-car train. These events did not take place in 2020 and will not take place in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Headquartered in Kansas City, Mo., KCS is a transportation holding company that has railroad investments in the U.S., Mexico and Panama. Its primary U.S. holding is The Kansas City Southern Railway Company, serving the central and south-central U.S. KCS’ North American rail holdings and strategic alliances with other North American rail partners are primary components of a unique railway system, linking the commercial and industrial centers of the U.S., Mexico and Canada.