HAMMONTON, N.J. (WPVI) — Every holiday season, Hammonton’s big red fire trucks compete for attention with the big red mailbox outside Station 2. All the letters inside are addressed to, you guessed it, the man in the big red suit.
“We thought it was just another great way to interact with the community outside of emergency situations,” said Lt. Joe Lisa.
This year marks the 5th annual Operation Letters to Santa, where volunteer firefighters work hard to ensure that every child who sends a letter to Santa receives a reply in time for Christmas.
“When we started the first year, we got about 400 letters, so that was our first year,” Lisa said. – Last year we had 640 letters.
Only time will tell how many letters will slip through the clumsy mailbox this year. But at least one of them was written by 5-year-old Alina Di Guglielmo of Mays Landing. Her mother, Amanda, helped her write her special note today.
“We know it goes directly to Santa,” Amanda Di Guglielmo said. “And we know we’ll get a letter back in about a week or two, so that’s pretty exciting.”
A mother-daughter duo delivered a letter today. Now they will wait to see what Santa has to say.
“I hope she will continue these traditions that we started,” Di Guglielmo said. “And I hope one day she can do all of that with her kids. And just keep the magic of Christmas alive.”
The official box office is located at 51 N White Horse Pike, Hammonton, New Jersey. Children in the surrounding communities are encouraged to send letters by Thursday, December 15, 2022. This gives Santa enough time to get everyone a response before Christmas. Each letter sent must include the child’s name and the correct return address.
To learn more about the special holiday operation, visit Hammonton Fire Department website.
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