Santa’s Delivery Service spreads holiday cheer to Brecksville families

By Nicole Rosselot

He’s making his list, checking it twice and soon, Santa Claus will be making his way to Brecksville for a brief visit with children on his nice list.

It’s all part of Santa’s Delivery Service, organized by the Kiwanis Club of Brecksville, which is scheduled for Sunday, Dec. 19 this year.

This beloved Christmas event has delighted generations of Brecksville families every year since the 1980s. Traditionally, Santa’s sleigh is filled with presents, loaded onto a trailer and then driven through town by Kiwanis Club volunteers. Santa stops at homes throughout the city, visiting with children and their families.

At each stop, Santa poses for photos and hands out goody bags or presents. There is no limit to the number of families present at each stop, and many families plan Christmas parties to coincide with Santa’s Delivery Service.

According to Kevin Brusk, president of the Kiwanis Club of Brecksville, the organization is still working out many of the details for this year’s delivery. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, parents dropped off pre-wrapped presents in advance and children climbed into Santa’s sleigh for photos.

Last year, the event had to be modified to keep everyone safe. While Santa still rode his sleigh through town, children greeted him from their driveway and received goody bags.

“As of right now, we are not sure which way we are going to go,” Brusk said. “We are still working out a few details, but come Thanksgiving, we will have instructions on our website as to how people can register and sign up for the Santa delivery, as well as [the details] of how we will be doing it this year.”

One piece of the puzzle that is in place is the police, Brusk said, is the escort provided by the Brecksville Police Department.

“The police have a ball watching the kids and some of the kids actually like the police car better than Santa,” Brusk said. “The cops will give them a little whoop-whoop with the siren and the kids have a blast.”

Traditions like Santa’s Delivery Service are especially meaningful during the pandemic, and Brusk noted that last year’s numbers were the highest in several years.

“Last year we had more stops than we’ve had in the previous three or four years because people were at home … and they were looking for something to do to keep the holiday spirit up,” he said. “And, we had more emails thanking us for doing Santa Delivery. We always get a handful of people saying my parents did this for me when I was little and now I am glad that you can do this for my children.”

Santa’s Delivery Service is available to Brecksville residents and registration is required. Families cannot request a specific time for their visit, however, the event begins at 2 p.m. and one of Santa’s helpers will call prior to his arrival. 

There is no cost to participate, but donations to cover expenses and fund other Kiwanis Club activities are appreciated. To register, go to brecksvillekiwanis.org. ∞