Zachary Graves, 13 months, and Nathan Graves, 4, visit with Santa Saturday at Kimberly Town Hall. The boys are the children of Mark and April Graves of Kimberly.

By Melanie Patterson

The North Jefferson News



Santa and Mrs. Claus skipped the sleigh this year and rode on something a little more modern.

Santa first made an appearance Saturday at Fultondale’s Hawkins B. Carter American Legion Post No. 255, riding on a Fultondale Fire Department truck.

Later that day, Kimberly Fire Chief Clark McCombs drove the pair to Kimberly Town Hall aboard a big red and white fire truck.

In Fultondale, Santa visited with children and handed out gifts that the American Legion veterans had collected for local children.

The group sponsored 15 families, with a total of 22 children, for Christmas. All families received a box of food and a box of gifts.

The dozens of people who attended the party Saturday also ate lunch together.

“We do a lot of good for our communities,” said American Legion Post Commander Don Vaughn.

Later that afternoon, the town of Kimberly hosted its annual “Christmas in Kimberly” party.

Every year, Kimberly sponsors several families for Christmas. Assistant town clerk Mona Hendrix heads up the event, with plenty of help from other volunteers.

The town raises money from private citizens, businesses, contractors and other donations.

City workers also have a road block every year and take up money. The road block this year resulted in $1,100 in donations.

Hendrix said that volunteers raised about $3,000 for Saturday’s Christmas in Kimberly.

Part of the money will be used to buy fruit baskets for senior citizens in Kimberly.

Thirteen children and their parents took part in the party Saturday.

After they watched Santa and Mrs. Claus ride in on the fire truck, the children took turns visiting with Santa before they ate lunch and opened their gifts.

Hendrix said the annual party, along with the Christmas parade and tree-lighting ceremony, is one of the highlights of the year in Kimberly.