As the Winthrop Fire Department gears up for another Christmas Eve making the rounds with Santa in tow, they
Doug Mead and Dennis Boudrow (Santa’s longtime driver) carry the new and improved reindeer out to the fire truck.
have a lot to be thankful for. This year the big man in red, will be accompanied by revitalized reindeer atop his sleigh, thanks to one kindhearted resident.
When resident, Nick Rosa heard that the reindeer that serve as the fire truck’s centerpiece on Christmas Eve, were deteriorating and had aged beyond belief, he stepped in and volunteered his talent and services. As a longtime carpenter, Rosa felt confident that he had the skills it would take to refurbish the antlers, which were hanging on by a thread.
“Over the years, these antlers have hit so many trees during Santa’s Christmas Eve route and they’ve endured some extreme weather conditions,†said Dennis Boudrow, the longtime driver of the truck that takes Santa around town.
With the help of resident Gary Capone, Nick spent 60 hours making fiberglass repairs, welding the base of the antlers, shaping them, and sanding them down before he put a fresh coat of paint on them. The revitalized antlers are beyond durable and the grateful firefighters are confident that they will last another 50 years.