MVFD Helps Santa Bring Gifts To Needy Families

By VERNON ROBISON

The Progress

Santa and Mrs. Claus; along with a group of MVFD volunteers, get ready to hop aboard the fire engine and deliver gifts to local families in need. PHOTO BY VERNON ROBISON/The Progress

Members of the Moapa Valley Fire District (MVFD) teamed up with Santa and Mrs. Claus last week to deliver large bundles of presents to two local families in need for the holidays.

A group of MVFD volunteers gathered at Logandale Fire Station #73 on Wednesday evening, Dec. 22, to prep and get ready for the delivery.

MVFD Chief Stephen Neel and his family had been out earlier in the afternoon doing some holiday shopping to fill the needs and wishes of the members of each of the two families. The Neels arrived at the station with a carload full of toys, gifts and stocking stuffers.

Neel explained that this is the third year that the district has carried on this tradition. MVFD volunteers hold a couple of different fundraisers each year which pay for this and other public outreach projects, Neel said.

“None of this comes from district budget funds,” Neel clarified. “The funding for this all comes from the fundraising efforts of our volunteers in the community.”

Neel said that each year he has gone to local clergy members for suggestions on who might need a little help during the holidays. Then families are selected and age-appropriate gifts are purchased for each family member.

MVFD Chief Stephen Neel, and a group of other volunteers quickly wrap presents before heading out into the night to deliver gifts to a couple of local families for Christmas. PHOTO BY VERNON ROBISON/The Progress

On Wednesday evening, the volunteers set quickly to work in unloading and sorting the goods for each family member. Then they quickly gift-wrapped all the items, stuffed the stockings and loaded everything into sacks just the right size for Santa to throw over his shoulder.

Santa and Mrs. Claus arrived just in time to climb aboard the Station #73 fire engine and head to the first stop in Overton.

In addition to the fire engine, the procession included three other MVFD vehicles. They pulled up in front of the Overton home with emergency lights flashing through the neighborhood.

Santa shouldered his sack and made his way to the door where he was greeted by the children of the family. The entire group came in to the living room and greeted the family with a “Merry Christmas.” Santa and Mrs. Claus handed out the gifts to each child who then placed them all under the Christmas tree.
“Don’t open them until Christmas,” Santa instructed with a twinkle in his eye. “If you do, I will know.”

Before leaving, Santa made a request that everyone join him and Mrs. Claus in singing the carol “Silent Night.”

A similar visit took place afterwards to another family in Moapa.