Exploring with Happy's Christmas Train supporting Operation Christmas Child

I want to thank everyone who took a ride on our Exploring with Happy Christmas Train.  You helped us raise over $5,000 for Operation Christmas Child.  What a wonderful gift to present to OCC on behalf of all of you.

We're already planning next year's Christmas Trains and with your input and help we can make the rides even better than this year's.  If you'd like to share ideas on how to make the rides the best they can be, please message us on our Traveling with Happy facebook page.

We would like to thank the A & M Railroad for co-sponsoring this event with us and helping make it a success.  The A & M's volunteers and employees were the ones passing out hot chocolate and cookies and donated many hours of their time to make this fundraiser a success.

KFSM and 99.9 KTCS were a huge help in promoting our fundraiser. KFSM's Alicia Agent, Meredith Baldwin, and Fred Mcclure did a great job in delivering the story.  Melissa Eckelhoff and Kris Vegas got the word out on the KTCS website and radiowaves and we appreciate it so much!

Also beneficial in getting the word out were our many newspaper partners who carry our Exploring with Happy and Cooking with Happy columns.  Thank you so much!

We are also thankful to our friends and volunteers who took off from their jobs and donated their Saturday to work upwards of 15 hours to make this a great train ride for all.  Matt Duschel, Hailey Dacus, Nathan and Erin Crawford, Ashley Torres, Amy Herrera, Dwight Robinson, Rachel Martin, Ginger Chamness, Jacques, Jody and Jenny Adams, Kimberly Eaton, Randi Jo Hall, Julie Jones, Melana Robinson, Joel Weaver and Alarik Schlotter. 

We are grateful to our Train Car sponsors Southern Star and Around the Clock Care at Home for contributing $500 each towards our goal.

Barber Foods donated the delicious Chicken Cordon Bleu for our first class passengers and if you loved them as much as we did you can purchase them at Sam's Club.

Larry Shackelford at Confectionately Yours Cakes in Ft. Smith hand pinched every single one of the 800 delicious homemade sugar cookies we enjoyed, and you can purchase these delightful goodies at Confectionately Yours behind Beau's Bridal in Ft. Smith.  Larry also graciously spent most of Saturday cooking the food that we enjoyed on the train.

Joe's Grill & Cantina catered our kids meals and loaned us their hotboxes and for that we say thank you!

All of our holiday tableware, plates, cups, napkins and utinsels were given courtesy of The Party Place behind Central Mall.  If you haven't been to The Party Place you don't know what you're missing.

Mike at Price Cutter in Poteau was instrumental in helping me gather all the ingredients for your potato casserole and green beans and also donated the ingredients for the pumpkin torte that everyone raved about.  The potatoes, green beans and dessert were served up from our very own catering company.

Thank you to everyone from the bottom of our hearts for helping us raise funds for OCC.  Plain and simple ~ Jesus gets shared with kids around the world with each shoebox gift.  Isn't it great to be a part of that?