Christmas time is quickly approaching. To get the community in the Christmas spirit, the Easton Medical Services volunteers will once again dress as Santa, Mrs. Claus and their elves to deliver pre-wrapped gifts to Easton children and residents via their ambulance.
Slots on EMS’s Sign up Genius are filling up fast for this 40-year tradition that began in the mid 1980s when about 10 EMS volunteers delivered around 150 to 200 gifts to children in Easton and surprised them with a spectacle right in their driveway.
“When Santa jumps out of the ambulance with the elves and they walk up to the front door, it just changes everything,” said EMS Captain Jon Arnold. “Kids’ heads just light up and they start screaming and running around the house and trying to grab mom to say ‘look, there’s somebody here.’”
Besides being a fun event for children, it is also a great outreach event for EMS. It provides a different experience for everyone involved.
“It makes people realize that we exist and that we run on volunteers and donations,” said Arnold. “We do this to make the community better and in return it is recognition for us. We aren’t only here for 911 calls. It’s nice to visit a house when someone isn’t sick or injured. Everybody’s in a different frame of mind when they call 911, so it’s nice that we are able to connect in a non-emergency setting. Santa Claus showing up just changes the whole dynamic for everyone.”
If you would like Santa to deliver a gift to your child or family member on the weekend of Dec. 16, fill out a time slot on Sign Up Genius, then drop off a pre-wrapped gift to the Easton EMS headquarters at 448 Sport Hill Road prior to Dec. 9. Include with the gift the child’s name and address, the contact information of the person requesting the delivery, as well as a preferred drop off time frame. If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact Marjorie Arnold at training@eastonems.com or call 203-452-9595.
