Courtesy photo
Cranford Jaycees’ Santa Deliveries and Toy Drive
Submitted by Andrew Feldman
Santa Claus came early to Cranford again this year by way of the Cranford Jaycees’ Santa Deliveries and Toy Drive. Over the course of two nights, Santa made stops at almost 1,000 homes to deliver a total of 2,339 presents, both records, often escorted by flashing lights from a Cranford Police or Fire Department vehicle and a team of elves.
The visits were part of an annual toy collection drive where parents donate a present for families in need throughout the region. The parents can then have a wrapped present delivered by Santa to their home on a weekend night. The drive netted almost 3,000 toys, filling two U-Haul trucks, that were distributed to Cranford residents and several local organizations: Cranford Family Care, the New Jersey Community Development Corporation in Paterson, and Union County Social Services.
The program is a longtime Cranford tradition that has nearly doubled in size in recent years. More than 60 Jaycee members volunteer to support the event, from organizing presents by region and loading delivery cars to planning traffic routes and suiting up as Santa Claus. Eight teams, each with a Santa and elf helpers, delivered the presents each night.
The Jaycees credit the Cranford Police & Fire Departments and the Cranford Police Auxiliary for their support with this year’s deliveries, as well as Steve Robertazzi from the Cranford Recreation and Parks Department for the use of the Community Center as the staging location.
“Every year it’s a massive undertaking, but it’s also our favorite event to see the joy when Santa pulls up to the houses,” said Mike Bond, who co-chairs the event for the Jaycees with Cameron Andre. “We thank all the people who donated toys so we can spread that joy across our community and give more families a happy holiday.”
