Firefighters and police officers, with the assistance of Santa Claus, delivered gifts Saturday morning to an Algonquin child battling a life-threatening illness.
The Huntley Fire Protection District said they made the special Christmas delivery on behalf of Operation North Pole.
Operation North Pole is a volunteer-based public charity that provides magical fantasy trips to the North Pole for families with a child battling a life-threatening illness.
The charity organization has canceled that event due to COVID-19 and other airborne illnesses.
The organization has instead partnered up with local fire departments to make the gift deliveries while their main event is on hold.
Multiple police and fire departments responded Saturday morning on behalf of the charity organization to an Algonquin home.
Emergency vehicles first gathered at Huntley’s fire station 4 in Algonquin.
The emergency vehicles then paraded down Square Barn Road and entered a neighborhood off Reserve Drive in Algonquin.
Santa Claus rode in Huntley’s fire truck and delivered presents to the family of a young boy.
Members of the St. Mary Catholic Church of Huntley sang Christmas carols while fire and police personnel lined the boy’s driveway.
The Huntley Fire Protection District said they were assisted by the Algonquin-Lake in the Hills, Rutland-Dundee, Woodstock, Hampshire and East Dundee fire departments along with the Algonquin, Lake in the Hills and Huntley police departments.
The McHenry County Sheriff’s Office and Kane County Sheriff’s Office also showed up.
“One of the many reasons we do what we do. It’s always awesome to give back to the community,” the Lake in the Hills Police Department said following the event.