Hey Derby, want to have Santa deliver your kids Christmas presents AND help a volunteer fire house?
The good folks at the East End Hose — a volunteer fire company tucked away on the Derby-Milford Road — are trying to spread the word regarding a holiday event they’re organizing.
Here is how it works (note — Santa-related spoilers below):
0. Determine whether you live in Derby. If you do, read on.
1. Go out and buy your kid or kids a present.
2. Wrap it.
3. Drop if off at East End Hose on the dates or time listed below.
4. Pay East End $10 for the first kid’s gift — $5 apiece for additional kids.
5. Listen for the fire truck sirens and Santa riding a fire truck to deliver the presents Sunday, Dec. 15 between noon and 6 p.m.
How awesome is that?
The firefighters at East End have been doing the Santa truck run for about seven years, but participation among Derby families has been declining in recent years.
“We probably only did about three or four kids the last couple of years,” Derby Assistant Fire Chief Bob Laskowski said. “We got the idea from the Town of Orange Fire Department. They’ve been doing it for decades and they have to go out on multiple fire trucks. Granted, there are more kids in Orange, but we want to get more gets involved.”
An East End Hose volunteer will be wearing a Santa suit, and a bunch of firefighters will be “elves.”
Why not plan a holiday party Dec. 15 where Santa shows up? The firefighters will travel anywhere in Derby.
“It’s really a great time,” Laskowksi said. “We had one house the second year we did it where there had to be 10 kids at one house. The woman there had planned a Christmas party with all her family and friends and all these little kids. I think we there for 25 minutes handing out gifts.”
Just keep in mind the firefighters cannot specify a time they’ll swing by your house with Santa. Emergency calls are unpredictable and can wreak havoc on schedules. In addition, it’s been known to snow in December.
You’ll have to listen for the siren on Dec. 15.
Here are the dates and times for dropping off presents at East End Hose:
Thursday, Dec. 5
5 to 8 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 6
5 to 8 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 7
10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Thursday, Dec. 12
5 to 8 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 14
10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Reminder, Santa will be delivering the gifts Dec. 15 between noon and 6 p.m.
The guy playing Santa that day isn’t necessarily a dude with a big belly and hearty laugh.
“Usually it’s the low man on the totem pole,” Laskowksi said, joking. “If someone doesn’t volunteer, we usually pick the person closest to ‘rookie’ status.”
The money collected will be used to benefit East End Hose, which has about 40 or so members. Click here for the company’s website.
The flier for the event is embedded below. Questions? .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).