Polar Express comes to Silver Valley

KELLOGG — Kellogg High School is going to be transformed into a winter wonderland in the coming weeks as part of a community holiday outreach event.

This year, with everything being stalled due to the ongoing pandemic, KHS United, the KHS Leadership Class, and KHS National Honor Society are turning Jacobs Gulch into the Polar Express.

Families will be able to drive their cars slowly up the gulch on Dec. 16 toward the school, where volunteers will be handing out holiday treats to the kids in their cars as they navigate through the 1985 children's book, and hit 2004-movie, themed experience.

Attendees will be invited to participate in several games that will be played throughout the entire ride through. Santa and Mrs. Claus will also be on hand for kiddos to drop off their letters and wish lists. It is also very possible that the Grinch may make an appearance as well.

The socially distanced and COVID-conscious event is for children ages 0 through fifth grade and will give them the opportunity to win a golden ticket that could net them a special prize to go along with all of the other goodies that they receive along the way.

With so many things not happening this season due to COVID-19, KHS’s counselor secretary Sarah Burkgart believes that the event is a major holiday win for the groups at Kellogg High School who are putting it on.

Burkgart has been incredibly busy making sure all of the groups are coordinating and working with one another to pull the event together.

“This is so important to us all here,” Burkgart said. “We wanted to do something for the entire community, not just the Kellogg School District, but an event that would love on everyone who wanted to come to it.”

Kellogg High School will present the Silver Valley Polar Express on Wednesday, Dec. 16, from 6-8 p.m.