Enough can’t be said about the crew and families of those at the Rupert Volunteer Fire Department. Through their hard work and determination to give every child in the area a great Christmas, they were able to hand out hundreds of toys, fruit bags and holiday cheer during their Christmas event on December 11.
The smiles on children’s faces as they met Santa Claus, who resembles Rupert Fire Chief Rocky Bailey, and The Grinch were infectious. There wasn’t a person in attendance who wasn’t feeling the Christmas spirit.
According to Bailey, the crew lost count of how many children received toys, but 280 fruit bags were handed out.
“Our expectations were blown out of the water,” Bailey said after the event, which took place from 6-8 p.m. at the firehouse. “People were lined up in front of the fire house before 6 p.m.”
There were so many children in attendance that two special trips had to be made to purchase toys at local stores just to keep up with demand, Bailey added.
“Everybody still got their toys,” Bailey noted, thanks to the quick shopping efforts of others.
“There were so many people, it was just unreal,” he noted.
Even though the crew members were tired after the event, Bailey said that it was truly amazing to be able to spread that much cheer.
“We loved it. It was awesome.”
This event might be over, but those with the Rupert Volunteer Fire Department aren’t quite finished spreading the cheer. Members are already planning their next Christmas event, which will be a food distribution to take place before Christmas. They are currently accepting non-perishable food donations at the fire house until December 23. Complete information on this event will be available in The West Virginia Daily News in the coming days.
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