LAKE STEVENS — Firefighters put down their helmets to play Santa this holiday season.
The Lake Stevens Fire Department raised more than $5,000 by busing tables at Ixtapa for their annual Tips for Firefighters event. The association for its part-time firefighters contributed an additional $2,000.
This money went toward buying Christmas gifts for 70 children at the Lake Stevens Family Center.
More than two dozen firefighters and family members wandered through Target on Dec. 15 filling bags with toys. Everyone was handed a slip of paper with information about the child they were shopping for, as well as $75.
The kids also received a $25 Target gift card to pick out something themselves.
“Spend, spend, spend!” Lake Stevens Firefighter Pat Cook told them.
Over the past 13 years, the department has collected more than $80,000 from Tips for Firefighters, and given more than 450 Christmas presents.
Cook handed a firefighter a piece of paper with a list of presents a 9-year-old girl was wishing for.
Shopping for girls seemed to be the biggest challenge.
“This little girl wants fuzzy socks,” he said. “They should be small, right?”
A group of young firefighters walked into Target. They were shopping for pre-teen girls.
“This will prepare you for parenthood,” Cook told them.
The first year the Lake Stevens Fire Department held this event, firefighters brought the presents to Cook’s house and wrapped them together.
“Imagine a bunch of dopey firefighters wrapping presents,” Cook said.
However, there were some gifts children asked for that couldn’t be wrapped in paper.
A 16-year-old girl’s Christmas wish was a night in the city.
The only thing she wanted was to eat dinner at the Cheesecake Factory and to see a play.
Lake Stevens firefighters made that happen.
Cook called the Fifth Avenue Theatre in Seattle. They offered the teen two tickets for “The Little Mermaid” at no cost.
Cook spent several days trying to get in touch with the family to pass along the good news. They were out of town for a family emergency, and couldn’t make it to the play.
The Fifth Avenue Theatre set aside two tickets for “The Secret Garden” next Christmas.
“They didn’t have to do this again,” Cook said.
He also put the teen’s $100 in gifts toward a certificate to the Cheesecake Factory.
Caitlin Tompkins: 425-339-3192; ctompkins@heraldnet.com.
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