As the Christmas season rolls around, the Hocking Valley Scenic Railway in Nelsonville is rolling out its annual Santa Trains — with some unexpected help from offenders from the Athens County Court of Common Pleas.
Offenders from the Athens County Prosecutor’s Diversion Program have been hard at work for the past few weeks cleaning and decorating the railway’s cars for the Christmas season, according to a news release from Prosecutor Keller Blackburn's office.
The program offers convicted offenders from the Athens County Common Pleas Court a chance to do community service instead of prison time.
Athens County Prosecutor Keller Blackburn hopes that the program, with its emphasis on service, will imbue Diversioners with a sense of community as they help out local businesses like the Hocking Valley Scenic Railway.
“Participating in group community service projects allows Diversioners to build a sense of community pride by helping out civic groups and local governments,” Blackburn said in the release.
According to the Hocking Valley Scenic Railway’s website, the Santa Trains are an annual event centered around a 20-mile, two-hour ride around the Nelsonville area. During the train ride, Santa visits each child onboard, taking requests for Christmas gifts and handing out candy.
The Santa Trains, according to the release, are the busiest event of the Hocking Valley Scenic Railway’s operating season, making important that the trains are in their best condition.
The first Santa Train will roll out on Nov. 30, and the trains will continue to run each Saturday and Sunday until Dec. 22. Tickets range between $13 for a child and $17 for an adult and can be ordered online at hvsry.org.
About 100 Diversioners join the diverson program each year, paying an average fee of $100 and completing anywhere from 60 to 120 hours of community service.
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