Seymour’s Santa Run may be the next best thing to actually witnessing the Big Man in Red coming down the chimney on Christmas Eve.
On Dec. 20, around 2 p.m., Santa will be escorted by the Seymour Fire Department’s new fire truck as he makes his way through the streets of Seymour, handing out presents to almost two dozen families.
The idea came from Jason Sellers, a Seymour resident who just wanted to add something special to the year where nearly every event has been canceled.
“It’s been pretty grim for the kids and members of the community,” Sellers said. “It’s definitely needed in 2020.”
Seller pitched the idea to the Seymour Fire Department, the Seymour CIA (Community Improvement Association) and Seth Emerson, Pastor at the Seymour United Methodist Church. Once everyone was on board, he established a Go Fund Me page where in eight days over $1,000 was raised to buy presents for the kids of Seymour.
“We’re going to drive up and down every single street, and all the people that RSVP’d to attend, we’ll have gifts for them,” Sellers said. “In addition to that, we are going to have a little side stash of gifts just in case some parents didn’t happen to catch the advertisement, that way no kids left behind.”
The group putting the event together is also giving parents the opportunity to have their “Santa” gift, the one that would be placed under the tree on Christmas morning, delivered by the jolly man himself. Those parents can drop the wrapped present off at the Seymour Fire Station by 1:30 on Saturday to have it placed on the truck.
“Everybody has been extremely excited about it. I knew people will be happy about it, I just didn’t realize how excited they were going to be about. It’s just been great feedback and we’re pretty stoked.”
Sellers said that Seymour plans to make the Santa Run an annual event.
“We’re going to spread a lot of Christmas cheer,” he said.
