Ho ho ho – trains are the way to go!
Kris Kringle donned a pair of red overalls and climbed aboard a Union Pacific train this weekend, after the massive number of toys collected by Union Pacific veterans swamped his sleigh and overwhelmed his eight tiny reindeer.
In an annual tradition, the Houston/Gulf Coast Chapter of UPVETS, a resource group for military veterans and interested employees, collected $80,000 in cash and more than 75,000 toys for the U.S. Marine Corps’ Toys for Tots program.
The toys will be handed out later this month to an estimated 25,000 children in the Houston metropolitan area.
On Saturday, more than 200 people who helped with the toy drive, including volunteers and sponsors, took a one-hour tour of Houston aboard vintage passenger cars from Union Pacific’s Heritage Fleet that included Union Pacific’s Locomotive No. 1943, The Spirit, honoring the U.S. Armed Forces.
“We spend hundreds of hours each year working on this toy drive, starting in February when we begin planning fundraisers and recruiting sponsors. It’s a lot of hard work, but it’s all worth it when we see the wrapping paper fly and the smile on the kids’ faces,” said Joe Mikulski, a Union Pacific locomotive engineer who oversees the toy drive with the help of his fellow UPVETS members.
Mikulski estimates UPVETS, along with volunteers from Union Pacific and the community, racked up more than 2,300 volunteer hours this year on the drive.
“We couldn’t do it without the support of Union Pacific and all the railroaders who give of their time to deliver boxes, collect toys and plan the logistics of the annual celebratory train ride,” said Mikulski.
The chapter began collecting toys for the Marine Corps’ program in 2019. In the first year, the group collected about 1,700 toys in 21 days. Since then, the UPVETS have had to invest in bigger and bigger toy bags, as their collections have steadily grown.
This year, they set out 158 collection boxes, and recruited about 30 corporate sponsors, many of whom launched toy drives within their own businesses. It takes a team of more than 20 volunteers to deliver and collect the boxes.
One notable addition to this year’s festivities was the military honoree. The Houston/Gulf Coast Chapter of UPVETS decided to honor one railroader/military veteran, with a ride on the Heritage Fleet.
The first winner in what will likely become an annual tradition was Jenkins Gbawar, a Union Pacific yardperson in Englewood Yard. Gbawar is a former U.S. Marine who was deployed four times to combat zones during the War on Terror.
He and his family were given the VIP treatment during Saturday’s train trip, including being the first aboard.
“Gbawar is one of those employees who you want to pair with younger employees, because he’s a great mentor with a great attitude,” said Brandon Vogel, superintendent-Train Operations in Houston. “He has an exceptional service record, and he does amazing things for us.”
Vogel is a company sponsor with UPVETS and was active in this year’s toy drive.
Military honoree Jenkins Gbawar, a Union Pacific yardperson in Englewood Yard, recognized at this year's Toys for Tots event.
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