NEW GLASGOW
A young man responsible for starting a long-standing Christmas tradition has been honoured by the New Glasgow Fire Department.
Alvin Richard Mueller was a teenage resident of Glen Haven Manor in 2004 when he asked if he could see Santa Claus and a fire truck for his Christmas wish. He passed away in 2005.
“After the call and some discussion, a group of firemen said, ‘We can do this,’” said New Glasgow Fire Department member David White. “Just before Christmas, when the trees are all decorated and lights were up and lit, we arrived at Glen Haven Manor. The look on Alvin’s face was priceless. It put all of us in the Christmas spirit.”
White said this visit was the start of a new tradition that involves the New Glasgow Fire Department members loading up Santa’s sleigh on a trailer so he and Mrs. Claus can travel through the streets of New Glasgow on Christmas Eve.
“This year we decided Alvin should be recognized for sending us on this Christmas journey,” he said. “We had a plaque made that is now on the back of Santa’s sleigh.”
White said the fire department usually starts its tour with Santa during the early evening of Christmas Eve and it has become very popular with local families.
The fire department tries its best to take Santa and Mrs. Claus on most of the town’s streets and lots of times children will come out of their homes to get a closer look at the jolly old man. There are some years that elves even make the visit, he said, and are hauled through the streets in the fire department’s rescue boat.
“Alvin, we on the New Glasgow Fire Department, would like to thank you for bringing us back to reality and sending us on this extraordinary journey,” said White.
