This week begins an annual tradition for West Sacramento residents — the coming of Santa Claus on top of a large red ladder firetruck directly into our neighborhood streets. I remember when I first moved here in the early 1990s, the blast of siren and flashing lights startled me. Was someone hurt? Is there a fire nearby? But what a joy to see a jolly Santa spotlighted on top of a firetruck shouting his Ho-Ho-Ho’s into a microphone, as his “helpers” walked alongside handing out candy canes and collecting cans for a local food drive.
This year, the Santa Run is Dec 8-11, and also Dec 14, starting at 6pm. The West Sacramento Fire Department and the West Sacramento Firefighters Association are the sponsors. For a detailed schedule, see the City of West Sacramento calendar. What’s great is the Fire Department pretty much visits every neighborhood in the city. When my daughter was younger, she was so thrilled to see Santa come down our street. Imagine her joy multiplied by the thousands of other children who felt the same. THAT is the Christmas spirit at work in our community.
Happy holidays!
