Did you hear sirens in Moosic? Annual Santa Patrol brings gifts and magic to community

MOOSIC, LACKAWANNA CO. (WOLF) — A Moosic annual tradition continued tonight despite the wind and the rain.

When thinking of Christmas, most people see green and red as the colors for the season. But for many in the Moosic community, Christmas colors are led with blue and red.

For years, the Santa Patrol has been a two-night staple of the holiday season for the area’s families and first responders.

Such a staple, that Santa Claus himself comes from the North Pole to join in on the fun, and offer some advice.

“If you don’t know what you want, get the letters in so our elves can go over the list. Make sure you’re being extra good and extra nice,” he said.

The man behind Santa, Dave Walsh, principal of Riverside Elementary School, is one of nearly one hundred volunteers involved with the patrol.

“It’s the magic of the night. It really is one of the most magical nights that happens in our area,” said Walsh.

As Santa, Walsh sits on a sleigh pulled by reindeer, and vehicles from the Moosic Police Department.

Officers like K-9 Officer Stacie Sala play a pivotal role in the two-night patrol, The Santa as it travels 44 miles of roadway in 12 hours, delivering candy-filled stockings, stuffed animals and treats to kids on Santa’s nice list.

“Everybody doesn’t get to see us every day out of the year. This is our one big thing where the kids get to see us in uniform. We don’t just arrest people or put fires out, we also give out toys to kids on Christmas,” said Officer Sala.

Leading up to the patrol, the police department hosts a raffle fundraiser, but members of the Greenwood Fire Department, like Captain Buddy Miller, says it takes more than that to run the event.

“There’s a lot of community involvement, a great deal of vendors, and we at the fire department help out all we can,” said Captain Miller.

While Santa has flown back to the North Pole tonight, families can still catch him and his crew riding through Moosic tomorrow afternoon.

His route and tracker can both be found here, on the Moosic Borough Police Department’s Facebook Page.