Special Visit
Tygart Valley Volunteer Fire Department escorts Santa to see residents
Submitted photos Family members gather around a fire truck carrying Santa Claus Saturday evening at the Tygart Valley Fire Company. Several fire departments in the area have taken Santa out to visit children this holiday season. Santa will be making his rounds in the Coalton area this evening.
Volunteers help Santa Claus and his bags into the fire truck before making his rounds on Saturday evening.
Submitted photos Family members gather around a fire truck carrying Santa Claus Saturday evening at the Tygart Valley Fire Company. Several fire departments in the area have taken Santa out to visit children this holiday season. Santa will be making his rounds in the Coalton area this evening.
Volunteers help Santa Claus and his bags into the fire truck before making his rounds on Saturday evening.
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DAILEY -- A handful of area fire departments have helped spread holiday joy this Christmas season by loading Santa Claus up on fire trucks and parading him through local communities.
The most recent event was on Saturday evening when the Tygart Valley Fire Department offered its version of "Santa on a Fire Truck."
Company 41 loaded Old Saint Nick up on one of its truck and departed the fire hall around 6:30 p.m.
Santa and the TVFD then traveled throughout the Valley Bend area of Randolph County, making stops at Mountaineer Insurance, Wildwood Manor, Valley Bend Church and the old C&J Restaurant.
"We started doing Santa on a Fire Truck back when COVID hit," said Tygart Valley Fire Department Chief Noah Gilroy. "The kids really enjoy it and it's something simple we can do for them every year. It's fun to see all of their smiling faces when Santa pulls up to greet them in a fire truck. With it being so close to Christmas, it's nice to be able to let some of the kids who haven't got to see Santa yet, have an opportunity to visit with him."
The Beverly Volunteer Fire Department was the first this past week to take Santa on a community ride. The BVFD and Santa were out spreading holiday cheer on Wednesday evening. As in the past, Company 42's first stop was at Lavender Fields Assisted Living.
"We loved seeing the joy in the older folks' faces," said Beverly fireman Zach Moyer. "It's a blessing to go in and see them, because they don't have many visits like the one we give them at Christmas."
From there, the Beverly Fire Department made stops at the Beverly Mobile Home Park, Burgess Mobile Home Park, Scott's Lake Road, Files Creek, Beverly Manor b, Canterbury Place, Kings Run, Dodson Run, Rich Mountain Road, Georgetown Road and the Warner's Farm in Dailey.
"We had a smaller version of this event last year, but the fire department wanted to go back to doing it like we had in the past," Moyer said. "So we extended the route and brought some of our Christmas characters back for this year's ride.
"The kids really love this event, you can see them standing in front of their houses with smiles on their faces as we come down the road."
This past Friday, the Huttonsville Mill Creek Fire Department hosted its "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" event. A fire truck with Santa visited several areas of Mill Creek before reconvening back at the Fire Hall for hot chocolate, cookies and a visit from Santa.
Children in the Coalton area will have the opportunity to visit Santa Claus this evening when the Coalton Fire Department takes old Kris Kringle out for a joy ride. The truck will begin the journey at 6:30 p.m. in Coalton, before making its way to Norton (6:30 p.m.), Mabie (6:50 p.m.), Harding (7 p.m.), Cassity (7:30 p.m.), Ellamore (7:50 p.m.) and Kingsville (8:15 p.m.).
All times are approximate and subject to change.