Santa finds new helpers are ready

SANTA had a helping hand on Saturday, December 8, when emergency services personnel drove him around Jandowae to deliver gifts.

TOY RUN: Firefighters Russell Schwerin, Cheryl Schwerin and Sandran Hayward with Tyasha and Blayze Bullock doing their best reindeer impressions. Picture: Shannon Hardy

SANTA had a helping hand on Saturday, December 8, when emergency services personnel drove him around Jandowae to deliver gifts.

Decked out in tinsel, a police car, SES truck, ambulance and fire engine wove their way around Jandowae on Saturday morning to deliver presents and lollies to children at home before finishing at Lyons Park so Santa could drop off gifts to kids who had come in from out of town.

This was the second year the toy run has happened in Jandowae after acting Sergeant David Holmes-Brown got the idea from another police station.

"We do it for the community, it's just good to see the kids out there enjoying themselves,” Sgt Holmes-Brown said.

"We want to thank our local Spar for donating most of the lollies, our local newsagency for donating presents for the kids who didn't have presents, Santa for coming down from the North Pole, and our local emergency services for taking time out of their day to come and give us a hand and make the kids' day.”

Red Clark and Erin Polzin were two of the mums who brought their kids to meet Santa and his emergency service helpers at Lyons Park.

"It's really good for the kids in the community to get together,” Mrs Clark said.

"For everyone to come together and be Christmasy - so we're not grinch-i-fied, the kids love it.”

Parents were able to buy gifts, label them with their address and child's name and drop them into the police station.

Sgt Holmes-Brown and his small army of helpers then organised the route to make sure that every child got a visit from Santa and his substitute sleighs - emergency vehicles decked out in tinsel with lights flashing and Christmas carols playing over the speakers.