Secret Santa Donations Will Be Collected Along Route
RAYNHAM — Chief Bryan LaCivita is pleased to announce that the Raynham Fire Department will once again be spreading holiday cheer with their upcoming Santa Run throughout town and Secret Santa collection.
WHEN:
Saturday, Dec. 12 and Saturday, Dec. 19 from 9 a.m. to about 4 p.m.
WHERE:
The Raynham Fire Department will be ushering Santa throughout the Town of Raynham. The run will start and end at the Raynham Fire Department headquarters, 37 Orchard St., Raynham.
WHAT:
The Raynham Fire Department, with assistance from the Raynham Police Department, will escort Santa Claus around town this weekend and next weekend to spread some holiday cheer ahead of Santa’s Christmas Eve journey.
During the event, residents will have the opportunity to see Santa Claus waving from a fire truck while being escorted by Raynham Fire and Police volunteers. All residents in attendance are asked to ensure that proper social distancing is being maintained during the event and families should also wear masks.
Due to the ongoing pandemic, Santa Claus and his elves will be unable to exit the truck to take group photos. Instead, residents are encouraged to take socially distanced photos of Santa and his elves.
On the morning of the runs, a Google Maps link will be shared so residents can track Santa’s location throughout town. Residents are also encouraged to monitor the Raynham Fire Department’s Facebook for location updates on the days of the runs.
“We are pleased to host our second annual Santa Run with the help of the Raynham Police Department,” Chief LaCivita said. “The Santa Run provides us the opportunity to spread some holiday cheer within our community in a safe manner for all. To assist families in need this year, we will be collecting gifts for our Secret Santa toy drive along our route as well.”
If you have any questions about the Santa Run, please email Lt. Jason Karns at jkarns@raynhamfire.com.
Secret Santa Collection
Throughout Santa’s ride around town, the Raynham Fire Department will also be collecting new, unwrapped toys and monetary donations for Raynham’s Secret Santa toy drive. Residents with donations during the Santa Run are asked to wait until a volunteer approaches them instead of approaching any of the department’s apparatus themselves.
Those who wish to donate to Raynham’s Secret Santa toy drive can also drop off gifts and monetary donations at the Raynham Fire Department, 37 Orchard St. Residents should use the side dispatch door to drop off their donations, no contact necessary.
Secret Santa donations will be accepted through Monday, Dec. 19.
“Last year we were able to provide gifts for 125 kids within our community thanks to the generous donations from community members,” Chief Lacivita said. “This year, we anticipate more families in need of assistance due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. We encourage families who might have fallen upon difficult times to reach out to us as soon as possible to further discuss how we can assist them in ensuring that their children enjoy the holidays this year.”
Raynham’s Secret Santa toy drive has been a staple within the town for decades after being started by a Raynham resident and custodian at the Laliberte School. In the past, anonymous sources provide the names of families who may be in need during the holiday season. Those families are then added to a list and contacted by the fire department to discuss their needs. Once the gifts are collected from the toy drive, gift donations are then dropped off to families by the Raynham Fire Department.
Families that would like to be added to this year’s Secret Santa list can email Deputy Chief Barrett Johnson at bjohnson@raynhamfire.com or call the fire station at 508-824-2713.
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