CHARLOTTE, Mich — Charlotte firefighters and community volunteers gathered Saturday to wrap hundreds of Christmas gifts as part of Christmas Kiddies, a tradition that has brought holiday joy to local children for more than a century.
- Charlotte Fire Department continued their century-old Christmas Kiddies tradition Saturday, with firefighters and community volunteers wrapping hundreds of gifts at the firehouse.
- The gift-wrapping preparation began at 9 a.m. and was completed quickly thanks to many helping hands from the community.
- Children throughout Charlotte and surrounding areas will receive the gifts on Christmas Eve, continuing a beloved local tradition.
The Charlotte Fire Department transformed their firehouse into a bustling holiday workshop, where tables filled with presents awaited the many hands ready to help prepare for Christmas Eve deliveries.
"We collect Christmas gifts throughout the year and then invite the community to help wrap all of the gifts," firefighter Jeff Wertz said.
The preparation began at 9 a.m., but the enthusiastic volunteers made quick work of the task.
"Probably by 9:30 or so we were nearing the end of gifts to wrap," Wertz said.
Among the volunteers was Heidi Hansen, a lifelong Charlotte resident who grew up with the Christmas Kiddies tradition. She remembers the excitement from her childhood when her family would gather for the holiday.
"My niece and nephews were at my mom's house for Christmas Eve and the fire truck came down with Santa," Hansen said.
Now Hansen helps create those same magical moments for other families in the community.
"Just to see the light on their faces and how much they appreciate it," Hansen said.
For Hansen, the tradition represents something deeper than gift-giving.
"It's just one of those great traditions that we hold dear in Charlotte," Hansen said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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