From the Crystal Lake Police Department:

OPERATION NORTH POLE

Crystal Lake, IL – On Saturday, December 14, 2019, the Crystal Lake Fire Rescue Department along with other McHenry County Fire and Police Departments will be participating in Operation North Pole.

Operation North Pole is special day for children with life threatening illnesses and their families.

This special day begins with a breakfast feast after which the children and their families are placed on a special Metra train that travels to the Metra Crystal Lake Pingree Road train station.

Once in Crystal Lake, the special Metra train then takes on the designation of the “North Pole Express”.

The Metra train is expected to arrive at the Pingree Road Train Station at 11:50 AM and will be met by the McHenry County Fire and Police Department members with snacks and gifts that will be given to the children and families by off-duty firefighters.

Various scout groups are also present to wave and sing carols from the train station platform.

The Operation North Pole train will remain in Crystal Lake for approximately 30 minutes while it changes tracks to then return to Des Plaines, IL at 12:20 PM.

The train, while heading back to Des Plaines, will have fire departments at every train station and train crossing along the route, waving and cheering the passengers on to their journey to the “North Pole”.

The families will board buses in Des Plaines with a police and fire department escort to a Winter Wonderland where the “North Pole” awaits them.

Operation North Pole is a day of celebration for the children with life threatening illnesses and their families and to have a day for the entire family to meet Santa and enjoy a day filled with wonderment.

More information about Operation North Pole can be found at: http://www.operationnorthpole.org/