Hartsdale Fire Department Engine 169 was magically turned into a big red sleigh recently for a very special visitor to the Hartsdale Fire District.

Santa, along with Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer and a team of elves, visited more than twenty communities in the district on Saturday morning, December 10th, during the department’s eight annual Operation Candy Cane. Since 2015, off duty members of the Hartsdale Fire Department have given up a Saturday morning in December to spread Christmas cheer throughout the Hartsdale Fire District.

At each stop the elves handed out candy canes while Santa and Rudolph posed for pictures with the children and their families. After each photo was taken, the family was given a card with a number on it so that they could send an email and request a copy of the picture.

This yearly event has become extremely popular in the community and this was very apparent in one note the department received, “Thank you for bringing joy to our kids’ faces. Our kids, who before this month did not believe in Santa, now they believe in the spirit of Christmas and that you guys work with Santa to bring joy and holiday cheer.”

Operation Candy Cane started and finished at the Hartsdale train station in the village. A local street fair that was going on at the time gave Rudolph an opportunity to get a touch up job done on his red nose at a face painting station. Photos by Alan Zale