Santa Makes His Final Rounds in Leesburg

Santa made his final rounds in Leesburg Monday night while riding alongside Frosty and Rudolph with the help of the Leesburg Volunteer Fire Company. According to Deputy Chief and Public Information Officer Ian Buchanan the annual fire engine ride has taken place since 1989. 

The idea was first introduced by Mike Thacker, he said, who was a very active volunteer at the time. The initial ride hit only the main streets of town but as the years went on, the routes began to expand to match the growing town. Over the years, Buchanan said the fire department has gone from a single night to the current seven.

"We try to cover all neighborhoods inside the town limits in some way," Buchanan said, adding that there is also a visit to River Creek and parts of Potomac Station that lie just outside the town's border. 

For the past two years, Santa has also been tracked via an AVL / GPS system that records the position of the “sleigh” every 60 seconds. According to those records, Santa traveled over 140 miles this year during the course of his seven night tour. 

"Traveling at an average of about eight to 10 miles an hour," Buchanan said. "takes quite a while to cover our routes."

The participants of the rides are either members of the Leesburg Volunteer Fire Company or friends and family of members. The best part of the event, Buchanan said, is seeing all the people, especially the children, along the route smiling and waving to Santa. 

"It’s a great experience for our members to bring something like this to the community that supports us throughout the year," Buchanan said. "We have no intention of ending this tradition."

Do you have photos of Santa coming through your neighborhood? If so, we'd love to see them. Feel free to upload them to the story.

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