The Verona Fire Department is cancelling Firetruck Santa, which was to have been held this Sunday, December 20. Fire Station #2 announced the cancellation in an Instagram post this morning.
The event, which takes Santa all over Verona on a firetruck, had initially been postponed after an unauthorized gathering at Fire Station #2 led to exposures to COVID-19. Operations at that firehouse were suspended and everyone who was at the gathering was asked to quarantine and monitor symptoms. The firehouse, one of two in Verona, was to be back in operation on Saturday.
Township Manager Matthew Cavallo said the reason for the cancellation of Firetruck Santa was a “lack of manpower for the event.”
The cancellation throws a wrench into another signature holiday event in Verona: The Fire Department’s collection of non-perishable food and supplies for the food pantry at the Episcopal Church of the Holy Spirit. So if you have supplies, please leave them in the drop box by the side door of the church.
You can find the list of what Holy Spirit currently needs here, or pick from this list:
- canned vegetables (not corn or green beans)
- paper towels
- cleaning products such as dish detergent, toilet bowl cleaner, cleanser, window cleaner, etc.
- personal hygiene items such as toothpaste, bar soap, deodorant, shampoo, shaving cream, etc.
- detergent (no bulk sizes)
- macaroni and cheese
- breakfast bars
- boxed milk
- jelly
- ketchup
- mayonnaise
- canned fruit
- canned beans
- juice boxes
- crackers and cookies
- dog and cat food
At this time, the pantry does not need soup, baby items including diapers or adult diapers. The Food Pantry is open on the fourth Saturday of each month from 9 to 11 a.m. but during the pandemic, the church is preparing bags of goods that it hands to clients in their cars.
