Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus brought holiday cheer to Slatington as they traveled through the borough in a festive sleigh, greeted by families of all ages during the annual Operation Santa event.

The Clauses were joined by their helpers, Aubrey and Kylie Sandt, Zavier Sosa and Blake Neibell, as they made their way throughout town.

Mayor Jeralyn Schoch praised the volunteers and organizers, saying, “You are all amazing people. I’m so very proud of every single one of you. Thank you so much for caring about our community.”

The sleigh itself was a highlight of the event. Handmade by firefighter Dylan McDevitt with help from fellow firefighters, it was ready to roll for Saturday’s Operation Santa route.

Event organizer Annie Tomaino said the outpouring of support made the long day worthwhile. “The community support was truly heartwarming. The smiles from all different ages, from babies to senior citizens, made all the hard work and miles walked and time planning this event worth it,” she said.

“It was nice having the privilege to do this event with our friends from a neighboring fire department, Friedens Fire Department, a Northern Valley Ambulance crew, and a few members from the Northern Lehigh Maddawgs Baseball Team.” They hope to grow the event every year.

Tomaino said, “We visited almost 300 residents in our borough. We walked 15 miles and did over 30,000 steps. It was quite a day.”

Santa also stopped for photos with families throughout the route, including Gabby Adler, mom MyKayla Reinstein and baby Sophie Adler. Even four-legged residents joined in the excitement, as Tibetan Mastiffs Ava, 2, and her brother Nate, 4, eagerly welcomed Santa during the visit.