Sirens for Santa
It’s a little known fact that an ordinance prevents Santa Claus from flying over Estero Island with his sleigh.
So, he relies on the Beach Kids Foundation and the Fort Myers Beach Fire District to deliver his gifts to island children.
The Beach Kids Foundation helped Santa deliver gifts to 57 children in 18 stops with the funds raised from its annual Spirit of the Holidays fundraiser. Santa and his helpers loaded up the fire trucks and took gifts to Fort Myers Beach and San Carlos Island.
“The families were excited this year,” said Fran Myers, foundation president. “A lot of them said it helped their Christmas.”
Hurricane Irma left a lot of local families displaced or without means for gifts. For the 25th year in a row, the foundation was there to make sure the children of the families got everything on their wish lists.
“Some of the receivers are now givers,” Tom Myers said.
Fran Myers said the foundation had ages from babies to teenagers this year.
Toni Lynn Starr and her husband, Wayne Streur, stopped by the Red Coconut while Santa and the firefighters loaded up the gifts. Starr attended Beach School and Cypress Lake High School, and recently moved back to the island.
“It was always my dream to move back,” she said.
The country star attended the Spirit of the Holidays, and the couple donated $25,000 to the foundation to help out with gifts.
“The kids are getting their entire wish list this year,” Fran Myers said.