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Santa arrives on a fire truck

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Written by Karen R. Thompson Friday, 07 December 2007

For three decades it has been tradition for Santa Claus to arrive in Northwest Austin on a Jollyville Volunteer Fire Department truck. He rides through the neighborhoods with the horn blowing, and throws candy to children.

In the summer of 1975, after a fire destroyed a home in Forest North subdivision, a group of residents from Forest North and Anderson Mill got together and formed the Jollyville Company of the Round Rock Volunteer Fire Department. The initial purpose was to provide fire suppression service to the fast-growing area of southwestern Williamson County, but it was soon evident that other services were needed. Thus, the tradition of the “Santa Run” was started.

Photograph courtesy Jollyville Fire Department.

Today, the Jollyville Company provides fire protection and rescue services to more than 35,000 people in a 12-square-mile area with two fire stations, eight pieces of state-of-the-art equipment, 40 volunteers and 21 paid firefighters. Santa Claus still depends on the JFD for a ride through the neighborhoods.

The 2007 Santa Runs will be Dec. 15 & 16. They have two decorated trucks with a Santa on each. On the first weekend they will do the Anderson Mill area and the east side of US 183 the next weekend.

Santa and his helpers throw a lot of Halloween candy to the children waiting on the street, because Walgreens, HEB, and other stores give them the left over Halloween candy.

Photographs courtesy Jollyville Fire Department.