FELLSMERE — Hundreds of children gathered outside the Old Fellsmere School Wednesday evening, anxiously awaiting the arrival of Santa Claus to ensure he knows just exactly they want under their Christmas tree. And the Jolly Ol’ Elf didn’t disappoint – arriving in town on an airboat, rather than his sleigh.
He jumped from the boat, pulled by a white Ford 250 Super Duty instead of eight tiny reindeer, and greeted the children with a hearty “Ho, Ho, Ho!” as he made his way to the top of the stairs and take a seat on his bench.
Children cheered as he settled in, ready to take a seat beside him and whisper in his ear.
Five-year-old Aleah Williams was the very first in line, arriving more than a half-hour early to ensure an audience with Santa Claus. She nodded when asked if she knew what she would ask the elf for, but refused to say the item out loud.
When asked if it were a secret – again, she nodded.
Her grandma, Belinda Williams, said Aleah isn’t normally shy and is typically a chatterbox. As for herself, Williams said she was enjoying the Santa event.
“I love it,” she said of being part of a community that hosts such events.
Danny Emmons and his wife, Kim, came up with the idea to bring Santa Claus to town on an airboat – they being members of the Indian River Airboat Association. The city once held an annual Santa Claus comes to town type event years and years ago – when it had a volunteer fire department. Santa would arrive on a fire truck.
“We woke up one day and said ‘why not?’” Emmons said of trying to bring back the event.
Having certain, special connections, Emmons got in touch with one of Santa’s elves who got word up to the North Pole, requesting Santa’s presence for the fourth year in a row, he said. Emmons declined to reveal his connections.
Along with Santa, the Indian River Airboat Association was able to bring together the 4-H Club, the Exchange Club, and the city’s Beautification Committee to host the event.
Emmons said that without their continued support, Santa’s visit to Fellsmere couldn’t happen.
“This is nice,” said Ellen Cruce, a grandmother with five grandchildren in tow. “It’s wonderful.”
Waiting for their turn with Santa were Bruce, 5, Hailey, 3, Tollison, 6, Johnny, 8, and 1-year-old Darrell.
The older boys all said they were going to ask for skateboards, though Tollison said he’d like an iPod and a laptop, too. Hailey said she knew exactly what to ask for – a purple bicycle. As for Darrell, his mother, Shlanda Cruce, said, “He like anything!”
For a couple hours, Santa entertained the children, listening carefully to their wishes and filing away the information for his trip back to town on Christmas Eve, when he’ll hop into his traditional sleigh and hitch up the reindeer.
For the purposes of the Fellsmere event, though, Santa opted for the Indian River Airboat Association’s airboat, which will be raffled off on May 17. The 11-foot watercraft has a 200 horsepower motor and is outfitted with nearly all locally crafted equipment, down to the Float-On trailer manufactured in Vero Beach.
Indian River Airboat Association Youth Hunt Master Robert Anderson was one of the “elves” escorting Santa to town.
“It felt pretty good,” Anderson said of bringing Santa to the Old Fellsmere School. “I love Santa, but I like Mrs. Claus better.”
Children got more than just an audience with Santa. The Fellsmere Beautification Committee provided cookies and lemonade. Committee member Amber Cerda explained they had planned hot cocoa – but with the temperature still hanging in the mid- to high-70s, cocoa would have been too warm.
“It’s all about the kids,” Cerda said of the committee participating in the annual event. “It’s great to see all the kids playing.”
Cerda said bringing Santa to town on an airboat is part of what keeps Fellsmere feeling like a small town. “We need to keep the small town feel. We do our best to do that.”
Surveying the long line of children waiting their turn with Santa, Suzy Wilson of the 4-H Club said she was happy with the turnout.
“It feels great” to be part of a community that holds such an event, Wilson said.
Wilson, Kim Emmons’s mother, used to bring Kim to the Santa events back when the Volunteer Fire Department hosted them.
“It brings back memories,” she said.
