Each year on Wednesday evening the week before Christmas, volunteers from all the South Beach fire departments climb aboard their fire trucks to visit children in their districts that have called ahead to let them know they’d like to see Santa Claus. It’s a tall order, but through Santa magic, the Jolly Old Elf manages to be aboard every one of those trucks as they make their holiday rounds to distribute a candy cane from Santa, fire safety information and other goodies.
A step further
However, for the past several years, the Ocosta Fire Department has taken the Fire Truck Santa Night tradition a huge step further, adding a number of practical and personal everyday useful items to their goody bags for kids.
According to longtime GH Fire District #14 volunteer, Melinda White, “We used to put together bags with just little toys and candy to pass out on Santa Night, but after we had the devastating wind storm in December of 2007 and saw the destruction and loss in our district, as well as all over Grays Harbor and beyond, it was an eye-opener for me.
“That’s when we started gathering practical things that kids can use like stocking caps, gloves, lap blankets and flashlights, fire safety coloring books, crayons, a holiday cup and holiday pencils to go along with the candy and toys,” she said.
White has been with the department for about 25 years, including as a junior firefighter, a member of the department auxiliary and as a volunteer firefighter,
The money to pay for the items in the Santa bags is raised through the Department’s annual garage sale, usually held in conjunction with the area-wide 30 Miles of Junque event, along with cash donations. This year’s sale was held prior to the EMS Levy election, so that members could encourage visitors to vote.
Super shopper
Using those funds, White shops the after-Christmas sales and during the rest of the year to get more bang for the district’s Santa Fire Truck bucks. White says her allotment for purchases is about $500 each year. “I really need to stretch those dollars to be able to fill all those bags,” she said.
“We were really blessed last year when the Dollar Store in Aberdeen donated a car full of toys to us because the folks at the place where they were supposed to go to didn’t pick them up. We had so many donations through that source that we had enough toys for this year, too,” said White.
Getting ready
In the past, the group put together 60 bags, but this year they increased their count to 80, using reusable cloth bags generously donated by Great Northwest Credit Union.
Nearly all the volunteers, along with family members and friends, join together not only at their fundraisers, but also the week before the big night to stuff each bag with goodies.
As for the future? White says, I would so love to be able to add personal hygiene items like tooth brushes, tooth paste, bottles of body wash, bar soaps, and the like. I have wishes and big dreams, but it all takes time and money and in our community that’s been so hard hit economically, you can only ask so much,” she said.
Donations welcome
If you would like to make a financial donation to the Ocosta Fire District’s annual Fire Truck Santa Night program, you may do so by sending your contribution to: Ocosta Fire Department, 8 Market Lane, Aberdeen, WA 98520 or drop it off at the station on most Wednesday evenings during drill nights.
