Raise the Roof
ADAMS TWP — Some say Santa only comes to town once a year. In this township, he visits kids all December.
The visits aren't traditional: Santa arrives in a tower truck pulled by firefighters instead of a sleigh pulled by reindeer.
But something they have in common is the color red. And, of course, the spirit of Christmas.
“That childhood innocence,” said Doug Mellinger, fire captain. “We usually have big groups of kids.”
Helping Santa visit local kids has been a fire department tradition for over a decade.
“We started even before Adams Area Fire was formed,” Mellinger said. “We go everywhere all month long.”
Santa visits began in Valencia and expanded as the area grew. Instead of stopping at a few central locations, Santa now stops in several housing developments.
“Adams Township over the years just exploded with housing developments,” Mellinger said.
Every stop has its own arrangement with Santa. At some stops, Santa hands out candy canes. At others, Santa hands out gifts. There's almost always hot chocolate and cookies.
“They make a little community event,” Mellinger said.
Visits are free, but Mellinger said the department does suggest homeowner associations make a donation. Adams Area is a volunteer district, so every penny helps.
Christmas is, after all, the season of giving.
Fire Police Captain Ray Mueser works closely with Santa — so closely, they sometimes look an awful lot alike. After years of helping Santa through the holidays, Mueser knows just what it takes to be jolly.
“You just got to be a happy guy,” Mueser said. “You just got to be happy and fun.”
The tower truck isn't exactly Santa's sleigh, but it's still an exciting feature. When the truck arrives with its lights on, it looks especially Christmas-y.“That really hits them,” Mellinger said.“The kids like it because they get to see the big ... tower,”Mueser said.Mueser said when Santa visits kids, he talks to them about school. Santa is good friends with the local principals, so he's got the scoop on who's naughty and who's nice.That makes some kids nervous.It makes other kids happy.“I like to see the smile on the kids' faces,” Mueser said. “I have fun.”Mueser's wife, Margie, is also very involved with Santa's visits. Santa's suit was handmade by Mrs. Claus many years ago.The visits give Santa an opportunity to ask youths questions about what they like and what they want for Christmas.Santa gets some questions, too. The Eagle asked Mueser if he could name Santa's favorite Christmas cookie.“Snickerdoodles,” Mueser said, adding chocolate-chip is a very close second.And the biggest question of all: Does Santa prefer hot chocolate or eggnog?“Sugar-free hot chocolate,” Mueser said.Santa has to keep an eye on his health, Mueser explained.Adams Township keeps Santa very busy in December. Mellinger estimates Santa sees 30 to 50 kids a stop — which means he sees 300 to 500 Santa fans overall. The secret to smooth visits is regular communication and traffic control.“We pretty much got it down to a science, now,” Mellinger said.Santa's visits are important because they bring the community and the fire department closer together.They also boost community moral and keep the season bright, according to Mellinger.And for the firefighters, there's one very particular indicator that Santa's visits are going well.“The kids,” Mellinger said. “Just the faces on the kids.”
