Morrison, IL, firefighters planned for Christmas on Saturday, November 23, 2019, by holding their Morrison Fire Department Sandwich Sale and “Caring for Our Community” toy drive. Generous Community members help by donating toys or money to purchase them. Annually, MFD distributes gifts to local school children in need. Families are eligible if they have children who attend school in the Morrison School District and are presently enrolled in the free lunch program. Additional recipients may be those who are unemployed or live in unemployed households, as determined on a case-by-case basis.
This photograph shows the jolly 2013 MFD gift delivery brigade.
On Tuesday, December 17, Fire Department staff, spouses, and other volunteers wrapped gifts. They placed several items for each child into sturdy paper bags; put all gifts for each family into a larger bag, marked with a number to identify the family and order of delivery. Handles of the interior bags were tied together, to make certain they all arrived for the correct child in each home.
On Friday, December 20, 77 children from 34 families were visited by Santa Team 1 and Santa Team 2. Each team was accompanied by a helpful elf. At 6:00 p.m., Engines 3 and 4, two pick-up trucks, and a large trailer departed the Fire Station and split into “town” and “rural” routes. Delivery usually takes about three hours, with pressure to beat 8:30 bedtimes. However, these deliveries took “about two hours,” because the number of children was less.
Gift donations “were very good. The gifts were there. The kids were down [in numbers], so we had plenty,” stated firefighter Rob Hudson.
To be time-efficient, volunteers ride along and gather presents in the trailer for the next family, while Mr. and Mrs. Clause visit with the current family. Photographs are taken; children ask Santa questions and receive a candy cane; parents receive a Sullivan’s Foods gift card.
After the rural route was completed, Dave Benters’s Engine met the City truck, driven by David Dykstra. The rural Clauses picked up the tail end of the City list of homes and finished those deliveries.
Supported by caring members of the community, Morrison Fire Department and their supporters are a well-organized, selfless group, that brings great joy to many local young people.
