Santa teams up with Cohoes fire to deliver toys

COHOES, N.Y. (NEWS10) — Santa will ride a firetruck loaded with toys into Cohoes Saturday afternoon, helping bring holiday cheer to children in the city who might not get a Christmas otherwise. Joined by the Uniformed Fire Fighters of Cohoes, IAFF Local 2562 (UFFC 2562), the jolly elf will take off around 4:45 p.m. from the city’s Central Fire House, at 25 Central Avenue in Cohoes.

The event, dubbed “Cheer for Children,” is the fire department’s 41st since 1981. Last year, firefighters helped just over 100 families and more than 300 children.

Members of UFFC 2562 have been collecting and distributing toys to families in need since the 1960s. Toy collections have benefited Toys for Tots, firefighters have adopted families, and crews have teamed up with the Cohoes City Hall in past years.

“Members saw the need in their community and started Cheer for Children,” noted event chairman, John Daigneault. “Cheer for Children will also help other local fire departments if they respond to a fire that affects children around the holidays, as well as giving toys to residents in the City of Cohoes throughout the year if they were affected by a fire.”

Santa will visit six families on Saturday. The public is invited to see him off from Cohoes Central Fire Station, and wave as he embarks on his tour of the city.