Train Exhibit Delivers for Children’s Charity
December 17, 1998 | Read Time: 2 minutes
An elaborate model-train exhibit built by volunteers netted $135,000 for the Ronald McDonald House in Jacksonville, Fla., last year.
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In the exhibit, which has become an annual tradition, 10 tiny trains make their way back and forth along a 180-foot stretch of track that goes from a miniature replica of the city to the North Pole. Along the way, they travel past Florida orchards, through a small mining town in Kentucky, along Northern lakes, and past skiers on snow-capped mountains.
The charity earns money by offering businesses and individual donors the chance to be part of the display. Replicas of the headquarters of some corporate donors are placed in the exhibit, while other businesses have their names or logos displayed on trucks and vans along the train’s route. Individuals and families who make gifts can obtain space on tiny billboards with messages such as “The Smith Family Wishes You a Happy Holiday.” Gifts for billboards start at $250; some companies have made gifts as large as $50,000 to participate in the display.
The exhibit is constructed by volunteers from a local model-train club; most of the materials they use have been donated. The entire project costs the charity less than $10,000.
In addition to the gifts from businesses and individuals, the charity earns money by charging admission fees ($3 per adult, $2 per child) to people who visit the exhibit, which is mounted in a shopping mall. The charity also holds special fund-raising events tied to the display, including a black-tie gala opening to which parents are invited to bring their children. And, to encourage school field trips, the charity provides teachers’ guides related to the exhibit, which include lessons in history and math.
For more information, contact Betsy Hegan, Special-Events Coordinator, Ronald McDonald House, 1440 Jefferson Street North, Jacksonville, Fla. 32209; (904) 798-2950; fax (904) 798-2966.
