RAYNHAM — Fire Chief Bryan LaCivita and Police Chief David LaPlante are pleased to report that Raynham firefighters, police officers and their families recently teamed up to complete the Santa Ride, traveling around town over two days with Santa atop a fire engine, gathering gifts donated by community residents to help local children.

The Santa Ride is a volunteer-led effort supported by the Raynham Fire Department and the Raynham Police Department since it started in 2019. Gifts collected during the Santa Ride support the town’s longtime Secret Santa holiday charity campaign, which last year provided presents to 108 local children and their families.

Community members can continue to support this year’s Secret Santa effort by bringing new, unwrapped gifts intended for children of all ages, including toys, clothing and gift cards, to the Raynham Fire Department at 37 Orchard St. by Dec. 18.

Secret Santa gift deliveries are set for Dec. 21, when a team of volunteers fan out into the community, providing packages to families with children in need that have been identified beforehand through the help of the Bridgewater-Raynham Regional School District and other sources.

The Secret Santa team has identified about 130 children in need of presents this holiday season, and that number is expected to grow.

“This is probably the highest need I’ve seen in the last few years,” Chief LaCivita said. “It’s no secret that things are more expensive in this economy, and people need extra help this time of year.”

The Secret Santa donation drive also received a major boost this year thanks to Candace Dalton, who raised more than $10,000 for the cause by hosting a psychic medium fundraiser event on Dec. 6 at Barrett’s Olde Scotland Links.

“Candace has been a huge supporter of ours for six years,” Chief LaCivita said. “She does a show every year and sells tickets to it and does raffles. This is the most she’s raised in all the times she’s done it, and 100% of that goes to the Secret Santa.”

The cash donations to the Secret Santa campaign will be used to buy clothing and other presents intended for older teenagers, which are not commonly received during the gift donation drive.

“The older kids sometimes get lost in the shuffle,” Chief LaCivita said. “We know they need some special attention, and the money Candace helped raise will fund that.”

The Secret Santa campaign dates back to 1988, founded by Butch Slavick, a Raynham school custodian who wanted to do something for the children he saw each day coming to class wearing worn-out shoes and inadequate winter clothing. When Slavick died in 2009, his family continued the tradition in partnership with Raynham firefighters and police officers, who have taken the lead in recent years.

Fire Lt. Jason Karns and his family have spearheaded the Secret Santa initiative in the past two years. Firefighter Michael McRae and his family are also major contributors to the effort. And Deputy Fire Chief Barrett Johnson and retired Police Detective Louis Pacheco, who served as Raynham’s school resource officer, have strongly supported the program.

This year, the group behind the Santa Ride included 10 volunteers each from the Fire and Police Departments. Many of their family members joined the effort, collecting toys and other donations while tailing behind Santa in pickup trucks.

“There’s a lot of pride that goes along with this,” Chief LaCivita said. “It’s pretty cool to drive down the street with Santa on the fire truck with little kids smiling. It’s one of the two best days of the year for the Fire Department.”

Chief David LaPlante said it’s an honor to have police, firefighters and their families pitch in to give back to the community during the holidays.

“I’d like to thank members of both Raynham Police and Fire for their efforts in helping out with the toy drive,” Chief LaPlante said. “It’s a worthwhile cause that we look forward to each year. Thank you to all the officers, firefighters and their families for stepping up and making this possible.”

Chief LaCivita also thanked all the donors and local businesses who contribute to this charitable campaign each year.

“In many neighborhoods, people get together and make a party out of giving when Santa comes by,” Chief LaCivita said. “The amount of gifts they gave was fantastic. Thank you to everyone in the Raynham community for their continued support this holiday season.”