2004-Event History

Unique Features:

• The event was held in the Tecate Stadium. For the second time the Christmas Train ran two trains. The first train was a special freight train carrying the gifts for the children, requiring both U.S. and Mexican customs import and export papers as well as inspections by both federal agencies. The second train ran the next day with the volunteers that helped distribute the gifts.

• The event was to be held at the newly refurbished Tecate Depot. But after meeting with the City Officials it was determined that having as many as 6,000 children with parents would overwhelm the depot. Therefore it was back to the stadium which turned out to be a very nice venue.

Description of the Day:

The Christmas Train, 2004 edition was the seventh year the event was staged. The freight train consisted of three boxcars and a locomotive running the previous day. The boxcars were loaded with over 6,000 gifts. It arrived in Tecate at noon. After U.S. and Mexican customs inspection it was greeted by 30 volunteers all ready to unload the cars into the Semi trucks which then were stored overnight at the Tecate Police Station for delivery to the stadium on Sunday morning at 7:00 a.m.

On Sunday, with everyone on the manifest, passports in hand, the volunteers loaded on to the historic passenger cars of the San Diego Railroad Museum and pulled by the F units of the Carrizo Gorge Railway. This was the last year that the President and her staff of the Tecate Social Services would help stage the Christmas Train as there are new elections for Mayor of Tecate in 2004. Therefore the staff from Tecate drove to Campo and road the train with the volunteers.

Upon arrival in Tecate the Three Kings and Tecate Staff marched into the stadium with Christmas Music and entertainment for the children already underway. In addition, the City of Tecate provided breakfast for all the children, as they do begin to line up as soon as the sun rises. This is a very special day for the Tecate children and they, like all children, want to be first in line. The Kings were introduced and then the entertainment began with the singing clown and the Raggle Taggle Band.

By the end of the day, more than 6,000 gifts were distributed to the children. What was very different this year was there were not enough gifts. Several hundred children were not able to receive a new toy. This was the first time we had experienced this and it was very disappointing. For the six thousand that did receive gifts it was a very happy day. Children were sitting outside the stadium coloring in the color books, playing with their new gifts and sharing with their bothers and sisters. 

At the end of the day, the volunteers were exhausted as they boarded the train for the ride back to Campo, USA. All were disappointed to learn some children were turned away. To help make sure that does not happen again, The Christmas Train is sponsoring its first Golf Tournament to raise money for gifts. Follow the link for information on how to enter the tournament, sponsor or donate to help buy the gifts for the children.

Special Thanks go to the City of Tecate, the Tecate Brewery, Coca Cola, the Tecate Police Department, U.S.C. Dental School, Soroptomist of Mission Bay, Carrizo Gorge Railway, The San Diego Railroad Museum. The Latino Police Officers Association and many more for assisting with the Christmas Train. Please visit their web pages posted at this site.