Chronicle: Home For The Holidays Part 5

WEBVTT JANE: JUST A FEW HOURS NORTH OF HERE, THERE IS A CHRISTMAS TRADITION THAT IS 76 YEARS STRONG. THE SANTA TRAIN. A SPECIALLY-CHARTERED TRAIN RIDE, FULL OF TOYS, DONATIONS AND, SANTA CLAUS! AMANDA CRAWFORD TAKES US INSIDE THE SPECIAL RIDE. [TRAIN WHISTLING] AMANDA: IN THE FIELDS AND MOUNTAINS OF COAL COUNTRY, TRAINS ARE A PART OF LIFE CHOO-CHOO. AMANDA: BUT ONCE A YEAR, SOMETHING SPECIAL ROLLS DOWN THES TRACKS. A TRADITION PRECIOUS TO HUNDREDS OF FAMILIES. SINCE 1942, THE SANTA TRAIN HAS DELIVERED TOYS AND CLOTHING TO CHILDREN ACROSS APPALACHIA >> JUST COMING OUT HERE AND WATCHING THESE KIDS GET SO EXCITED, IT’S EXCITING FOR ME. >> WHEN THIS TIME OF YEAR COMES AROUND, EVERYBODY’S TALKING, SANTA TRAIN, SANTA TRAIN, SANTA TRAI >> MERRY CHRISTMAS AMANDA: IT ALL BEGINS BEFORE THE SUN COMES UP. >> WE START SO, SO EARLY. YOU SEE THE KIDS ALL BUNDLED UP, AND IT IS NOT EVEN 6:00 YET. THEY JUST WANT TO SEE SANT ♪ AMANDA: THE FIRST STOP IS IN KENTUCKY. SLEEPY-EYED KIDS WAIT BY THE TRACKS FOR THAT PERFECT GIFT ♪ AMANDA: ON BOARD, VOLUNTEERS FROM CSX AND OTHER COMPANIES ARE BUSY. >> BRING SOME OF THESE BOXES AND FILL THEM UP IN STAGES. AMANDA: FILLING BAGS, SORTING CODES, ORGANIZING 15 TONS OF DONATIONS. >> THEY ARE PACKING THE FOOT BAGS, GETTING THEM OFF THE TRAIN. THE WRAPPING PAPER, ONCE WE RUN OUT OF THINGS, WE COME BACK TO THE DOOR. SHE AMANDA: THERE ARE GIVING AWAY 15 TONS OF SCHOOL SUPPLIES, STUFFED ANIMALS, BLANKETS, AND COATS. >> HANDMADE ITEMS, TOYS, MONETARY DONATIONS, ALL THOSE THINGS COME IN ALL YOUR ROUND. ♪ [CHATTER] AMANDA: AT 13 MORE STOPS, FOR A HUNDRED MILES THROUGH VIRGINIA AND TENNESSEE. >> OH EVERYBODY’S EXCITED, THEY’RE LOOKING UP AND DOWN THE TRACKS TO SEE IF IT’S COMING . AMANDA: EITHER CROWDS AWAY TO WHEN IT COMES AROUND THE BEND THE WHISTLE. >> WHEN IT COMES AROUND THE BEND DOWN THERE AND GETS GOING, EVERYBODY STARTS RUNNING, REAL EXCITED. >> HERE IT COMES! AMANDA: BRINGING BACK WARM MEMORIES FOR PEOPLE LIKE JUDY ISON >> I GUESS YOU COULD SAY IT HAS BEEN OVER 50 OR 60 YEARS. AS YOU GET OLDER, YOU STILL HAVE THIS KID PART IN YOU. GENERATION AFTER GENERATION >>GENERATION AFTER GENERATION THEY’RE BRINGING THEIR CHILDREN HERE TO EXPERIENCE THE SAME THING THAT THEY EXPERIENCED AS A CHILD. >> THE BEAUTY IS THAT TIME IS NOT CHANGED MUCH. >> WHAT WAS IT LIKE BECKHAM THEN? >> IT WAS JUST LIKE THIS. >> IT WAS A KNOCK DOWN DRAG OUT. [LAUGHTER] >> BACK THEN KIDS DIDN’T GET ALL THAT MUCH SO WHEN SANTA COME BY WE WAS OUT HERE TO GET WHAT COULD. >> STARTED WITH MY GENERATION, THEN HER GENERATION, AND NOW THE GRANDCHILDREN. >> IT’S ABOUT THE SAME. FEW THINGS CHANGED, BUT NOT MUCH. AMANDA: EACH TOWN IS FILLED WITH FACES OF ALL AGES, MANY HAVE WATCHED THIS AREA SURVIVE STRENUOUS TIMES. >> IS NO MORE THAN WHAT WE HAVE HERE IN DANTE, IT MEANS A GREAT DEAL. >> IT IS PICKING UP IN THIS COMMUNITY THIS YEAR. THINGS ARE LOOKING BETTER. THE POSTMASTER HERE, SO THESE PEOPLE, IT IS EXCITING TO SEE THEM. IT IS A GREAT DAY FOR EVERYBODY. WE HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE STRUGGLE, ESPECIALLY SINCE OUR COAL’S GONE YOU KNO THERE ARE SO MANY PEOPLEHERE WHO NEED IT, THIS IS THEIR CHRISTMAS. >> A FEW MOMENTS TO FORGET ABOUT STRESS AND EMBRACE THE SEASO >> IT IS OVERWHELMING, FOR SURE. I WAS VERY EMOTIONAL THIS MORNING JUST THINKING ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO ARE HERE THAT THIS IS THEIR PRESENT, THIS IS ALL THEY GET. >> I FEEL LIKE WE’RE LIVING THE REAL OR EXPRESS. YOU CAN SEE THE EXCITEMENT ON TH KIDS’ FACES AS THE TRAIN PASSES BY. IT IS CHRISTMAS MAGIC. >> IT BRINGS EVERYBODY TOGETHER, CLOSENESS. YOU’LL SEE PEOPLE YOU HAVEN’T SEEN ALL YEAR COME OUT FOR THE SANTA TRAI >> THERE YOU GO. >> THANK YOU SO MUC >> THERE ARE SO MANY VOLUNTEERS AND THIS TRAIN MEANS SO MUCH TO THEM, THEY WANT TO BE ON IT. >>! >> SANTA TRAIN! >> I AM SO THANKFUL THAT EVERY YEAR I GET T BE A PART OF THIS AND DO THIS. AMANDA: AMANDA CRAWFORD, WYFF NEWS 4 JANE CHRISTMAS TREES ARE MORE THAN JUST A SIGN OF THE SEASON, THEY MEAN BIG BUSINESS IN OUR AREA. IN SOUTH CAROLINA, FORMING CHRISTMAS TREES IS A $30 MILLION INDUSTRY. AND NORTH CAROLINA IS OFTEN CALLED THE CHRISTMAS TREE CAPITOL OF THE WORLD. HERE AGAIN AMANDA CRAWFORD WITH A TIME-HONORED TRADITION >> YES. >> WE HAVE GOT THAT ONE RIGHT THERE. >> THAT ONE LOOKS GOOD. AMANDA IT IS A CAREFUL AND A DETAILED PROCESS. THE ANNUAL HUNT FOR A CHRISTMAS TR. >> THIS IS ACTUALLY OUR FOURTH YEAR, RACHEL WAS A BABY WHEN WE FIRST CAME HERE. A TRIP ALL ABOUT TRADITION, AND AMANDA:A TRIP ALL ABOUT TRADITION, AND THAT SEASONAL MAGIC. >> JUST A FUN MEMORY, SOMETHING I DID, GROWING U . >> IT CAN’T BE TOO BIG BECAUSE OUR FAMILY ROOM’S NOT THAT BIG, SO WE HAVE TO KEEP IT SKINNIER, AND WE TRY TO GET IT AS TALL AS A CANDLE. BEFORE IT HITS THE ROOF, SO -- AMANDA: FOR MANY, IT’S THE OFFICIAL START OF THE HOLIDAY SEASON AND CHOOSING THE TREE MEANS ENVISIONING ALL THE FESTIVITIES AHEAD >> PUT THE BALL ON THE SIDE. MAKE SURE IT IS BIG AND STRONG PERIODIC >> WE HAVE A LOT OF ORNAMENTS, SO IT HAS TO HAVE LOTS O BRANCHES TO HOLD LOTS OF ORNAMENTS. >> AND LOVE THAT SANTA COMES IN BRIEFLY PRESENTS, AND I AM ON A GOOD LIST. >> IT IS ABOUT A SEVEN FOOT TREE. LIKE IT TO BE PRETTY FULL AND TO HAVE THAT TYPICAL CHRISTMAS TREE SHAPED. AMANDA: IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA, IT’S ALSO BIG BUSINESS. >> WE HAVE 3500 TAGGED, AND I TAGGED EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM. AMANDA: AS OPERATIONS MANAGER AT BOYD MOUNTAIN CHRISTMAS TREE FARM, DARREN NICHOLSON’S JOB, STARTS LONG BEFORE THE HOLIDAY >> I GO THROUGH AND I GRADE THEM INDIVIDUALLY, ON SHAPE, SIZE, COLOR. SO IT IS A LOT MORE THAN JU SLAPPING THE PRICE AND SELLING THEM, WE TAKE A LOT OF PRIDE IN WHAT WE DO. AMANDA: AND WITH CROWDS LIKE THESE, THE TREES DON’T LAST LONG. >> LAST YEAR, WE SOLD 2,800 TREES IN SEVEN DAYS, WE’VE GOT ABOUT 700 MORE THAN WE HAD LAST YEAR. AMANDA: 20% OF ALL CHRISTMAS TREES IN THE US ARE GROWN RIGHT HERE IN NORTH CAROLINA, ALMOST ALL OF THEM, ARE THE FAMOUS FRASER FIR. >> IT TAKES 3,000 FEET OF ELEVATION TO GROW IT, SO THAT’S WHY YOU CAN’T FIND THEM IN GEORGIA OR SOUTH CAROLINA. AMANDA: FRASER FIR’S ARE POPULAR, BUT THERE’S A TREE IN EVERY SHAPE, SIZE AND COLOR, FOR EVERYONE. WITTY LO FOR IN A TREE? >> SOMETIMES IT TAKES A WHILE TO AGREE ON WHAT WE WOULD LIKE. [LAUGHTER] AMANDA: FOR FORME EMPLOYEES, IT REALLY IS THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR. >> TO SEE KIDS OUT HERE, WITH SMILES ON THEIR FACES, AND THEY’RE GOING TO GET TO HARVEST A TREE AND TAKE IT HOM THERE IS A LOT OF PRIDE IN THIS. PEOPLE COME HERE TO MAKE MEMORIES, IT IS A FAMILY DAY. AMANDA: A DAY THAT STARTS WITH A TREE, BUT REALLY, IS ABOUT SO MUCH MORE. >> JUST THE ATMOSPHERE, THE BEAUTY OF THE MOUNTAINS, SANTA CLAUS DOWN THERE, THE KIDS GET THEIR PICTURE. THEN THE HOT CHOCOLATE. AMANDA: MERRY CHRISTMAS. AMANDA CRAWFORD, WYFF NEWS 4. JANE: THROUGHOUT NORTH CAROLINA, THERE ARE 800 REGISTERED FARMS GROWING 37 MILLION CHRISTMAS TREES. THAT’S A LOT OF JOY IN A LOT OF HOME >> IT IS REALLY AMAZING HOW EVERYTHING IS MADE OUT OF GINGERBREAD, AND YOU CAN’T EVEN TELL IT IS TOO PRETTY TO EAT! JANE: COMING U NEXT, A CULINARY DELIGHT BECOMES A FEAST FOR THE EYES. AND THERE’S JUST A LITTLE WHILE LONGER TO CALL AND DONATE TO THE HOLIDAY SUNSHINE FUND. 100% OF YOUR FINANCIAL GIFT GOES TO ORGANIZATIONS THAT HELP OUR NEIGHBORS IN NEED. THE NUMBER TO CALL IS 1-800-808-58