Santa Claus – alongside Mayor Lester Miller, Fire Chief Shane Edwards, and even the Grinch –  made a special visit to the Atrium Health Beverly Knight Olsen Children’s Hospital on Thursday to visit children and babies staying there.  

Since they weren’t able to go into every single room, Santa hitched a ride from the Fire Department’s bucket ladder. This was a tradition he and the Fire Department started during the pandemic when the hospital would not allow visitors. 

“We had a group of firefighters come together and pulled resources, off duty, and they got in touch with Santa Claus,” said Chief Edwards. “This is just one of those instances where our firefighters went above and beyond for the community.”  

“This experience was incredible,” said Mayor Miller. “Getting to see the smiles on kids and their families’ faces is something I will treasure forever. I am so proud of what our Fire Department does daily, but this speaks volume of who our department consists of.”