Morrison, IL, firefighters prepare for Christmas each November, during the Morrison Fire Department “Caring for Our Community” toy drive. Generous Community members help by donating new toys or money to purchase them.
Annually, MFD distributes toys to children in need. Families are eligible if their children–through Junior High ages–attend the Morrison School District and are currently 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.
Cash donations (to buy gifts) are currently being collected at Casey’s General Store; Isle of Rhodes; Shell Express Lane; Shop & Go; True Value Hardware.
Donations of new, unwrapped, toys/games/books may be taken to Isle of Rhodes, 111 W. Main Street, beginning now. On Saturday, December 4, from 9:00 a.m. to noon, drive through the Fire Station, 206 W. Main Street, to drop off toys or cash.
At 6:00 p.m., Tuesday, December 14, Fire Department staff, spouses, and interested volunteers will wrap presents from the collection. They place several items for each child into sturdy paper bags, then 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 are tied together, to make certain they all arrived at the correct home. Brian Johnson orchestrates the delivery route sequences.
On Friday, December 17, at 6:00 p.m., families will be visited by Santa Team 1 and Santa Team 2. Each is accompanied by a helpful Elf. Two Engines, two pick-up trucks, and a large trailer will depart the Fire Station, splitting into “town” and “rural” routes. The delivery usually takes about three hours, with pressure to beat 8:30 bedtimes.
To be time-efficient, volunteers ride along and gather presents in the trailer for the next family, while Mr. and Mrs. Clause visit with a family. Photographs are taken; children ask Santa questions and receive a candy cane.
After the rural route is completed, that Engine comes to meet the City truck. The Clauses pick up the tail end of the City list of homes and finish the deliveries.
Morrison Fire Department is a caring, selfless group that brings joy to many local children. The photos show the December 21, 2017, teams just before delivery.
