Thousands of locals across the Dandenong Ranges are expected to come together on their town’s street to be able to see Santa and enjoy lollies as various fire brigades take part in the Santa Run this Christmas.
The Monbulk Fire & Rescue crew will be driving throughout the township on Christmas Eve (Saturday 24 December) as part of the the popular decades-long tradition, and with live tracking from the Monbulk Fire & Rescue (CFA) Facebook page, locals will be able to see where they can spot the CFA tanker, and Santa, as the vehicle travels throughout the streets.
“It’s great to see the looks on the kids faces, and it brings a lot of joy,” Monbulk Fire & Rescue Brigade Captain Simon Schroder said.
“There’s a few hundred dollars worth of lollies around town… It’s good to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and give the kids a bit of a moment…they do like the lollies, that’s for sure,” Schroder said.
For Silvan Fire Brigade, the annual Santa Run is one of its bigger community engagements.
Sunday 18 December is the date that Santa will travel throughout the town, with a command vehicle sounding a few minutes before Saint Nick’s arrival to alert keen kids and adults alike.
“We’ve only been doing for roughly seven years and it gets better every year,” Silvan Fire Brigade 1st Lieutenant Scott Houlder said.
“We’ve got members that look forward to it and go ‘righto, we’re on for Santa this year’ and we’ve got community the same,” he said.
Gembrook Fire Brigade’s tanker will be at Gembrook Skate Park at 5pm on Wednesday 21 December, and will arrive at J.A.C Russell Park at around 5.30pm.
Santa and one of his elves will then take a walk up Gembrook’s Main Street, calling in on businesses including the local pizza shop, chatting to young kids and parents.
In areas around Kallista and The Patch, Santa and his associates aim to take off on their journey at around 5.30pm, heading through residential streets including Ivy Avenue and Adelaide Avenue.
The map of this year’s Santa Run can be founf on the Kallista-The Patch Fire Brigade CFA Facebook Page.
Other Santa Runs throughout the Dandenong Ranges include:
Selby – Sunday 18 December from 9am to midday. Routes posted soon and on the day and Selby Fire Brigade will share a live tracking link.
Sassafras and Ferny Creek – Saturday 24 December (Christmas Eve) from around 4pm to 7pm, covering the main part of Sassafras, One Tree Hill, Tremont and the rest of Ferny Creek. Destinations include The Crescent, Hilton Road and Mount Dandenong Tourist Road.
Emerald – On Saturday 24 December (Christmas Eve) at Puffing Billy Park (Puffing Billy Place) from 3pm to 4pm, Santa and a fire truck will be there for residents to enjoy, and will be giving out lollies.
Emerald Fire Brigade community safety personnel will also be on hand to answer questions from the community.
Check your local fire brigade’s Facebook for updates on Santa’s adventures.
