POUGHKEEPSIE – In a last-minute contract negotiation, Santa Claus reached an agreement with The Poughkeepsie Firefighters IAFF Local 596 for assistance. Members of the fire department were enlisted to wrap presents for 11 families that will get a special delivery from Santa on Christmas Eve day.
The firefighters set up a workshop at the Italian Center on Monday night and brought in over $6,000 worth of gifts to be wrapped by the union members and volunteer elves.
The Italian Center put out a buffet of delicious homemade food to keep the wrappers content as they organized the gifts for the families. A group of elves from the Parkwood section of the city stepped up and adopted one of the families and agreed to help use hundreds of yards of gift paper and tape to get the presents ready for delivery.
Poughkeepsie Fire Lieutenant Paul Bucher said IAFF Local 596 paid for most of the gifts with the assistance of the city’s police union (PBA), the Parkwood Elves, and substantial private donations from Mike Baroni of Baroni Recycling and businessman Dave Mazzetti.
The families were chosen with the assistance of “School district elves,” according to Bucher. “Our community has always been supportive of our department and this is just one of the ways we show our appreciation,” said the lieutenant.
IAFF Local 596 President Nick Bucher, an NFL Eagles fan that got a great present Sunday with an Eagles win, added “our members volunteered their own time to do this as a way to show our appreciation. We really enjoy seeing the children smiling when the gifts get delivered.”
According to Fire Captain Steve Sutka, Santa and his firefighter elves will leave the North Clover Street firehouse at 8 a.m. on Christmas Eve day to deliver the presents throughout the city, helping to ease the burden of Santa Claus.
