Cooperstown Fire Department Holds Annual Children’s Party

By WRILEY NELSON
COOPERSTOWN

The Cooperstown Fire Department hosted its annual Children’s Holiday Party in Pioneer Park on Saturday, December 16. The day was sunny and warm, and Main Street was packed with visitors and holiday shoppers. Dozens of local families congregated in the park to meet Santa and a variety of Paw Patrol and other public-safety related children’s characters, for games and activities, and to enjoy socializing on a beautiful winter day. The party is a long-standing tradition and a major yearly event for the fire department.

“The last couple years with COVID and everything, we’ve done it outside instead of at the fire station,” said Cooperstown Fire Department Emergency Squad Captain Mike Simons. “We’ve found this works out a lot better; we can coordinate it with when Santa is in town and have activities and games while they’re waiting in line to see Santa.”

“It’s a nice way to get out in the community with the fire trucks and ambulance and have kids interact with us in a positive, non-threatening situation,” Simons continued.

Many fire department personnel and their families and friends attended to help out with the event. Children enjoyed face painting, cornhole and interactions with popular TV characters as they waited to enter Santa’s cottage.

“This tradition has been going on for close to a hundred years,” Simons concluded. “They used to do it in Smalley’s Theater, then in the fire station. It’s nice to get outside for people to see us and for us to see them. Some of our members bake cookies; we hand out stickers and cookies and try to make it a positive experience for everyone.”

For more information, visit https://start.cooperstownfd.org/home-1.