All is bright for the Town of Vienna’s volunteer fire department headed into the thick of the holiday season.
A recent fundraising campaign organized to provide upkeep for Santa’s special sleigh — a 79-year-old antique fire engine — shattered the initial goal by more than $27,000, the Vienna Volunteer Fire Department announced last week.
Nearly $78,000 in all was raised to provide the needed maintenance, which includes a full engine rebuild and electrical rewiring.
The required work will unfortunately sideline the vehicle this year, but the outpouring of support will ensure it sticks around for years ahead.
“While we’re heart broken the elves can’t work their magic as quickly as we’d hoped, your contribution ensures the antique will be in amazing shape for Santa for many years to come,” the department said on social media.
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The department has long used the vehicle, a 1946 Maxim Fire Engine, to spread holiday cheer in the town during its annual “Santa Runs.” Accompanied by sirens and music, Santa and his “elves” — actually volunteer firefighters — travel throughout Vienna in the days leading up to Christmas, distributing candy canes.
In past years, however, mechanical problems with the vintage vehicle have skyrocketed. A failed starter solenoid took the sleigh out of service days before Christmas last year, and a “catastrophic failure” of the vehicle’s transmission sidelined Santa in 2023.
Though the vehicle won’t be ready for Christmas 2025, a proper thanking of the community for their efforts is in the works.
“We have asked Santa if after Christmas he’d be willing to come spend the first part of his ‘vacation’ with us to help thank the community for their support,” the department said. “He said he will if Mrs. Claus hasn’t planned a trip yet, so we’ll keep you posted when we have something scheduled.”
