By Jim Newell
Review Writer
Sometimes Santa doesn’t wear a red outfit with fluffy white trim.
This year, as has been the case for the past half century, the Orion Firefighters Goodfellows will don their full fire gear and share that mantle with Kris Kringle.
All day on Dec. 3, the Orion Firefighters Goodfellows from Station 3 off Gregory Road will be handing out special editions of The Lake Orion Review at Panera Bread on Baldwin Road (in the Baldwin Commons) and at Hollywood Market on Lapeer Road.
This season marks the 50th year the Goodfellows will be selling special editions of The Review.
“This is a special year, being our 50th year,” Hudak said. “There are firefighters who were doing it 25 years ago, and are still doing it today.”
The Goodfellows hope to raise several thousand dollars to assemble food baskets for struggling families, who are identified through community organizations and word-of-mouth.
“This has been a great tradition of ours that has helped hundreds of families in Lake Orion over the years,” said Goodfellows chapter president Bob Hudak. “Our firefighters really enjoy going out into the community to help raise money for this cause.”
In addition to food, the donations also include toys, coats and winter clothes for adults and children, as well as some necessities like paper towel.
“It’s a little bit more than just a food box,” Hudak said.
The process begins when someone nominates a family in need, or a family approaches the Goodfellows and asks for help with the holidays.
The firefighters then go and interview the family to find out what sort of items they need. Through donations from local businesses and fundraisers, the Goodfellows purchase the items, assemble the gift baskets and deliver them.
“All the money we raise goes to the families,” Hudak said. When the Goodfellows need money for such things as mailing costs, they “pass the hat.”
‘We try to find out what each child wants and then do our best to make their Christmas morning special for them,” Hudak said. ‘The Goodfellows motto is ‘No child should be without a Christmas.’”
The Goodfellows will pack the Christmas baskets and deliver them to the children and families on Christmas Eve, typically bringing Christmas joy to 15-20 families.
‘Most of the funds we raise come from people and businesses in Lake Orion and Orion Township, so we try to help out families there,” Hudak said.
The holiday tradition began 50 years ago at Station 3 in Gingelville and has become a community mainstay since. About a dozen firefighters help out each year.
Anyone interested in helping the Goodfellows holiday efforts, or to nominate a family in need, may do so by visiting the Orion Fire Department Station 3 off Gregory Road.
They also may call Hudak at 248-895-0406, or send an email to OTFFGF@gmail.com.
“If people are coming to us and asking for help, we’re going to help them,” Hudak said.