ECHO HOSE HOOK & LADDER CO.1
SANTA’S HELPER FUNDRAISER
Stay up to date on our dedicated Facebook page for the event. We post regularly with information on registration days as well as the status of availability for gift drop off dates.
Welcome to Santa’s Helpers 2020 and thank you for showing interest in our event. This is our 14th year of hosting Santa’s Helpers, which will run this year from December 11th through December 20th on the WEEKENDS ONLY
(Friday, Saturday, & Sunday).
The price for this year is $30 for the stop, which includes the first 3 gifts. Each additional gift over 3 will be $10. Once again this year, we are asking you to please coordinate with your neighbors. We suggest continuously monitoring the state’s and CDC’s guidelines on COVID-19 restrictions and recommendations in regards to larger gatherings.
Registration and Gift Drop-off Location: Open registration will start on November 28th and run through December 6th. Registration will be held at the Firehouse, 379 Coram Avenue. Please park around back and use the rear entrance. We will have signs to guide you to the registration area. Once we have our volunteers in place, we will post additional registration/drop-off days and times. ALL gifts and registrations MUST be received by December 6th so we can start scheduling the deliveries.
Please have each gift wrapped in brown paper with the child’s name and delivery address clearly printed on it. We will have rolls of brown wrapping paper available and extra tape at registration.
If you have any questions, please read the FAQs below before reaching out to us. Most of your questions will be can be answered below.
The Echo Hose Hook & Ladder Co.1 would like to thank you for your support in helping us make our Santa’s Helper event a great success over the past 13 years. Each year we have been able to grow the event and we want to thank the families that participated last year and have helped make this event successful for us. We love to bring a smile to a child’s face one door step at a time.
COVID has proven to be very challenging for everyone. The last thing we wanted to see was this event get canceled. To keep everyone safe, anyone taking part in registration or drop offs shall wear a mask. This includes Santa and his helpers as well. During registration we will be utilizing the rear entrance only to our building to limit the amount of traffic to the main parts of our Firehouse. Touchpoints will be regularly wiped down and each gift received will be sprayed down with a special cleaning solution. To keep all attendees and staff safe, Santa will not be entering any homes this year unless previously agreed upon for special circumstances only. If we all do our part to be as safe as possible we can make this years event a success. In the event we need to cancel, you will receive a refund and any gifts back. We will do everything in our power to make sure that does not happen.
FREQUENTLY
ASKED QUESTIONS
During two weekends of December, the members of Echo Hose Fire Department don Santa suits instead of turnout gear to escort Santa to the homes of children around the City of Shelton. We arrive with lights, sirens, and Santa to your front door.
Visit us at the Firehouse, 379 Coram Ave during any scheduled open registration day. Please park behind the building and enter through the rear door. We will not be accepting drop offs through the main entrance (front door) this year due to COVID. Please bring with you the gift(s) wrapped in brown paper along with your donation. While at the Firehouse, select your deliver night and fill out the registration sheet. Hand us your gift(s) and pay your donation and you are registered!
The cost to participate is $30.00 for the first 3 gifts and $10.00 for each additional gift. If you drop off 2 gifts to be delivered, that is $30.00. If you drop off 1 gift to be delivered and shared by two or more children, that is $30.00. If you drop off 2 gifts to be given to the same child that is $30.00. If you drop off 4 gifts to be delivered that is $40.00.
No, though that would be preferred, but not a requirement. If you are able to coordinate the people on your street or block to have gifts delivered the same night, that will work as well – i.e. delivering to 23, 25 and 34 Fire Lane. We suggest continuously monitoring the state’s and CDC’s guidelines on COVID-19 restrictions and recommendations in regards to larger gatherings.
No, you will not choose a time when you register with us. The routes are planned when each night closes so we can travel the most efficient route to each stop. When the route is planned, the age of the children is taken into consideration and we try to visit the younger children first. Times really depend on where the stops are that night.
We ask that you wrap the presents with brown paper for 2 reasons – 1. Brown paper is more durable than regular wrapping paper and even though we are extremely careful with all gifts, wrapping paper has a tendency to tear. We do not want to deliver an opened or partially opened gift. 2. It is easier for us to read the name and street address on the gift so it will not get misplaced. Rolls of brown paper can be found at Target, but paper bags from the grocery store work as well.
The donations are used to fun Fire Department events throughout the year. For example, the funds from this program help us sponsor a child from the Boys & Girls Club, distribute the popcorn balls and candy canes, buy gifts for Children in area hospitals and many other events.
We have always accepted cash and checks. Please have checks made out to Echo Hose FD. We also accept Venmo & Square payments.
Once you have received your pre-registration letter for the current year’s program, contact Treasurer Max Aulet at either 203-589-3009 or treasurer@echohosefd.com with your pre-registration number and the night you would like Santa to visit you. Pre-registrations will not be accepted until the letters should have been delivered.
Families that have participated in previous years received letters allowing them to pre-register in subsequent years. Once you have participated, you will be receiving a letter. Letters will be mailed the second week of November. Each letter contains a unique ID number that is linked to your information in our database.
You drop off your gift and payment at the Firehouse, 379 Coram Avenue during posted registration/drop off hours only. Dropping them off anywhere else or when we are not present at the Firehouse will not guarantee they make it to us. Please park behind the building and use the rear entrance ONLY. The drop off station will be setup in a way to keep everyone COVID safe.
We would love to deliver gifts to needy Shelton children, but we do not have the manpower to make this happen. If you know of a neighbor or family in need in Shelton, you are welcome to send a gift to them as a secret Santa. We will have to coordinate with the family, so it cannot be a complete surprise. This year we are partnering with Echo Hose EMS and TEAM for TEAM’s Toys 4 Kids Annual Toy Drive. If you wish to donate a gift, w will have a collection box at registration.
Once you are registered, you may add as many gifts as you would like. there is no limit to the number of gifts we will deliver to one stop. We can have your neighbor added to the same night as your delivery. We must be cautious with the number of people at each stop due to COVID guidelines. We suggest continuously monitoring the state’s and CDC’s guidelines on COVID-19 restrictions and recommendations in regards to larger gatherings.
Due to this year’s pandemic we unfortunately need to limit contact exposure. We suggest continuously monitoring the state’s and CDC’s guidelines on COVID-19 restrictions and recommendations.
Santa delivers between the hours of 5 pm and 9 pm. Once a night closes to registration, the most efficient route is planned taking the age of the children into account. Once the route is set, you will be called with an estimated time for Santa to arrive.
Currently Santa only delivers in the evening from 5 pm to 9 pm.
The only requirements we have set is that Santa delivers to an address within the Shelton City Limits. Our firetrucks are still in service while delivering, so if an emergency comes in, they need to be able to respond. However, we will deliver gifts to anyone that is at one of our stops, so invite your out of town friends over to experience Santa.
Unfortunately our firetrucks cannot deliver to any address outside of the Shelton City Limits. Our firetrucks are still in service while delivering, so if an emergency comes in, they need to be able to respond.
We try to keep the delivery times between 5 pm and 9 pm, so we will need to limit the number of stops we make each night. The popular nights will close quicker.
To make it easier for Santa to find your house, please make sure your house number is visible and have some outside light on.
You can await Santa’s arrival inside or outside of your home. Most children want to see the firetrucks as well as Santa, but some children may be frightened of them. Santa will come to wherever you await him. Because Santa has a long list of boys and girls to visit, keeping him and our Firefighters COVID safe is our main priority. Santa will come to your door but will not enter any homes this year.
The amount of time Santa spends at each stop depends on the interest of the children and the amount of people he is delivering to at the stop. The average is between 5 and 10 minutes. We allow enough time for Santa to hand each children their gift, check out the firetrucks and to take photos.
You will receive a call at least the night before your scheduled visit with an estimated time for Santa to arrive. You will also receive a call the night of your visit when Santa is on his way to you.
We live in New England, so inclement weather is always a possibility. The forecast for Santa’s deliveries is watched closely and every precaution is taken. We will make every effort to reschedule deliveries that are cancelled due to weather at a convenient time for the families involved.
Our firetrucks are still in service while delivering, so if an emergency comes in, Santa and his crew will need to respond. In these cases, you will be contacted by Santa’s head elf about a delay or to reschedule.
If you are interested in participating, please contact Treasurer Max Aulet at treasurer@echohosefd.com. He does work, so please allow him time to get his kids to bed before responding to e-mails. You may also visit our dedicated FACEBOOK page.