Newcastle celebration, giving event in 15th year
The Newcastle Fire Department lit up the holiday season Thursday, December 19 with their beloved Fire House Santa program, a heartwarming tradition that has grown into a beacon of generosity and joy in the community.
Celebrating its fifteenth year, the event continues to bring smiles to families in need, thanks to the tireless work of the community, local businesses, and generous volunteers.
The Fire House Santa program, founded in 2009, works in partnership with school counselors and administrators to select families and students who will benefit from its annual donations.
As the holiday season approaches, the Newcastle Fire Department collaborates with businesses and families to gather donations, ensuring every child in the program has gifts to open and families have the support they need.
This year, the event was nothing short of spectacular. Families were treated to an array of gifts, including bikes, toys, clothing and more. Each child received several clothing items, a brand-new pair of shoes, and a toy — ensuring that no one went without.
The magic of the event begins with Angela Pick, who meticulously prepares donation tags and organizes the distribution of gifts. With a keen eye for detail, she ensures each family’s needs are met by wrapping and packaging each gift individually. When tags go unpurchased, Brandi Privett steps in, using additional donations to fill in the gaps, ensuring that no gift is left behind.
Together, their work makes this event the success it is — transforming the holiday season for many local families.
However, the Fire House Santa program doesn’t stop with gift-giving. In a true display of community spirit, the Newcastle Fire Department teamed up with Newcastle Victory Church to throw a festive holiday party.
The celebration had everything you could imagine for a Christmas bash — huge inflatables, a special visit from Santa Claus himself, and a spread of food and desserts generously donated by local businesses.
To help ease the financial burden that often accompanies the holidays, families also received Walmart gift cards, giving them the flexibility to shop for what they need most.
As always, the generosity of Newcastle’s community shines through in its support for this event. A special thank you goes out to Thru Tubing Solutions, who contributed more than 90% of the money raised, as well as Tinker Federal Credit Union for their financial donations.
The evening wouldn’t have been complete without the help of Little Caesars, who provided 30 pizzas, and Papa John’s, who donated an additional 8 pizzas to feed the crowd.
In addition to the donations, the Newcastle Victory Family Church and its members were instrumental in making this event a success, purchasing many of the gifts and providing the lively inflatables that added to the festive atmosphere.
In total, more than 689 families and 2,500 kids have benefited from the Fire House Santa program over the years, and this year’s event is a testament to the strength and warmth of the Newcastle community.
The Fire Department would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to Pick and Privett for their dedication, time, and effort in making this event possible. Without their commitment, the Fire House Santa program would not be the holiday highlight that it has become.
From all of us at the Newcastle Fire Department, we wish you a safe and Happy New Year!
