Katy Train Unveiled at Area Hospital

Family and friends gathered on the lawn of CHRISTUS St. Catherine hospital at 701 S. Fry Road to meet Santa Claus and one of his reindeer and witness the unveiling of the latest All Aboard Katy train last Thursday.

The campus Christmas tree was also lit for the assembled parents and children waiting to have their pictures taken with Santa while sipping hot chocolate and eating holiday treats.

Katy resident Jennifer Rocha said she was glad for the opportunity to spend time with her children and fellow community members at the gathering.

“They really liked looking at the tree … and now they are meeting and playing with neighbors,” Rocha said. “It’s a great community thing to do … it’s good, old-fashioned fun for families that’s not a restaurant, shopping or buying stuff.”

Following the lighting of the tree and the unveiling of the CHRISTUS St. Catherine locomotive, Santa arrived on the scene, eschewing his red-nosed reindeer for a red fire engine.

While parents and children formed a line to take pictures with Santa, some took the opportunity to meet a reindeer for the first time.

Mary Crauss and her daughter Joella found the reindeer a novel way to celebrate the Christmas season.

“Unfortunately, she’s a little above Santa, but the reindeer we really wanted to see, it was a big attraction,” Krauss said. “It seems very Christmassy, there’s no snow or things you typically associate with Christmas, but the reindeer makes it feel real.”

CHRISTUS St. Catherine director of marketing and public relations Christa Clifton said the community event presented an ideal opportunity for the big reveal of the hospital’s All Aboard Katy train.

“The train had been painted for a while … we wanted to tie it in with one of our events at the hospital,” Clifton said. “What better way than to have a tree lighting and train unveiling at the same time.”

The locomotive, painted in the hospital’s trademark purple with an angel adorning the front of the engine, is part of the All Aboard Katy project, a benefit for two local nonprofits – the Katy Heritage Society and ARTreach.

“We are especially pleased to help support the local charities this project will benefit,” Clifton said. “When agreeing to participate in this project we were not thinking how this could benefit the hospital, but rather how the entire project could bring the community together while helping local charities.”