Weather forecasts have not boded well for several days. Wind, rain and low temperature greeted us maliciously on Saturday morning, hoping that they would thwart our intention to help others. They didn't!

We postponed the beginning of our brigade on the Children's Historical Railway by half an hour, but even so, almost all of us met at 8 o'clock. Despite the bad weather, 15 of us stayed and together with 11 volunteers from the railway we created a great group.

Before the actual division into workplaces, we were participants in a nice event, the commissioning of the Danka motor locomotive after a complete repair. The symbolic ribbon in the colors of Košice was untied by Michael Piekut on behalf of U. S. Steel Košice and Slavomír Sobek on behalf of BESSPRO (Surface Treatments), which supplied colors for the renewal of the  popular blue locomotive. The companies VAMT and Žeriavy Košice, which provided the transport of Danka, also helped with the repair.

After a short ceremony, we took on the work that could be done despite the bad weather.

Edo Kandik, as always, took care of the maintenance of the locomotives and the rest of us moved to Alpinka. Our determination was rewarded in the end. As soon as we arrived by train to Alpinka, the rain stopped, the wind stopped blowing and it got slightly warmer.

Marcel Novosad, Stano Ferencak, Robert Zihlavnik, Roman Fedak, Robert Jenik, Igor Molnar, Dusan Bakon, Michal Tancak and Fero Gregor immediately set about completing the excavations for the electrical connection, its installation and subsequent burial. The electrical connection will be used to illuminate the sidewalk from the Alpinka station to the children's area and to the tram, which is part of the exhibits. We learned that it used to roam the streets of Bratislava (Bratislava, unlike Košice, has a narrow gauge, the same as our Children's Historical Railway).

Marcel Novosad has been helping on the railway for 15 years. He says: "There is always great and good fun. A perfect group always gathers here. I like to help, and even more so when I see that my help is meaningful and brings joy to many children, their parents or grandparents. I would like to address colleagues who are hesitant to come to our Metallurgical for Košice event. They will certainly not regret it. It's still a nicely spent day, after which there is a good feeling of an unwasted day."

As a local patriot, Robert Zihlavnik  is pleased to see that the railway, as the work of our ancestors, is not falling into disrepair, but is alive and gradually developing. "The feeling that I can be useful with my little work really fulfills me inside. At the same time, it is a great teambuilding, where I have the opportunity to repeatedly meet people with the same effort to help," and adds: "A big thank you also goes to the perfect organization of the whole event and I am happy that our company can support passionate people for the common good."

Jana Hoffmannova, Adriana Burikova, Andrea Macejova and Monika Jenikova planted seedlings of the future hedge. They had enough work. It was necessary to plant the hedge not only at Alpinka, but also to complete part of the hedge at the Cermel station.

Monika Jenikova admitted that she lives with her heart for the railway, for children, young people, but also for colleagues who, like her, contribute to this entity with their volunteer activities. "There is nothing like shining eyes and joy in the hearts of children who visit the railway," says Monika with a smile and continues: "I was thrilled by the railway management, which often makes an effort at the offices, where they are thrown out the door and they come back through the window so that the children's railway is constantly improved and grows. We have done a lot of work. I am pleased when I look at the area in Alpinka but also in Cermel." A great magnet that also attracts adults is the first draisine oval in Slovakia. "Believe me, many times I hear the laughter of children and their parents when they ride on a trolley. It is a satisfaction for my heart when nowadays people find a piece of happiness in the area of our railway."

In addition to Monika and her husband, her son Alex is also a great enthusiast. He is a permanent volunteer and lives for it. He was fascinated by trains from an early age and this is one of the reasons why he likes to go there not only every weekend during the school year, but also during the summer holidays.

For Adriana Burikova, the railway is close. At work, he is in charge of ensuring the transport of our products to the customer by rail. "Volunteering fills me mainly with a good feeling to help where it is needed," he says, adding: "There is always a great team of people in a good mood on the railway, so I always leave with a good feeling from an amazing job. Not even bad weather can stop us. I'm glad that I can be part of a group of great colleagues."

All the work was completed, mainly thanks to the determination, skill and good mood of all volunteers, both ours and those from the railway.

They also "infected" the weather with their good mood and gradually became completely wiser.

At the end of the successful event, Ľubomír Lehotský, the director of the railway, thanked everyone: "We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your participation, all the more so because the weather was not good. Your help is always not only felt, but also irreplaceable. Without your willingness, commitment and enormous work energy, we would not have been able to do so much work and leave behind such a visible result. You have shown us that help still has its place, and that behind a strong company there are strong and charismatic people with good hearts. THANK YOU!"

Photo: Igor Molnár