Riding in a yellow Polk Township Volunteer Fire Company truck decorated with Christmas wreaths, Santa Claus arrived in style at the 23rd Annual Polk Township Tree Lighting Ceremony Sunday afternoon.

Attendees gathered on the lawn of Salem-St. Paul Lutheran Church in Kresgeville, across from the Polk Township Veterans Memorial.

Pastor Deb Scheffey opened with a prayer.

“We felt it was very important to keep this tradition going. We moved everything outside,” said Joan McKinsey, member of the Polk Township Veterans Memorial Committee.

The event is sponsored by the committee and the church.

This year, attendees practiced social distancing, wore masks and used the hand sanitizer set on tables. Crafts, music, visits with Santa and refreshments occurred outside, instead of in the church.

Traditions are an essential way to celebrate the holiday season, and we must pass these traditions onto the next generation, McKinsey said.

“We gather together to celebrate the season. This event helps me remember the reason for the season,” she said.

As they awaited Santa’s arrival, kids could decorate a foam tree or foam ornament with festive stickers, have their photo taken with the Grinch, write a letter to Santa and listen to Shirley Haydt read the Pennsylvania Dutch version of “The Night Before Christmas.”

A small group of about 10 children sat on the benches next to Haydt, who sat amidst the trees of Adam’s Faith Garden to read the story.

Adam Jablonski created the garden as his Eagle Scout project in 2012. He died in 2013 at age 19. He had a rare form of cancer.

The Grinch held a box with a switch, and when the crowd counted down, 8-year-old Mika Nearhood flipped the switch.

“I am so excited. I love Christmas,” she said.

Her letter to Santa was chosen from the bag, and she got the honor to light the trees. Her 5-year-old sister, Kassia, stood next to her. Their parents, Justine and William Nearhood, stood close by.

The crowd cheered as the blue lights on the tree began to sparkle behind her. Christmas tunes began to play, and the crowd was encouraged to sing along.

During “Santa Claus is Coming to Town,” the yellow firetruck slowly traveled down Trach Road.

Santa waved from the back and carefully stepped down to the black top, where he pulled plastic bags of treats – stickers to color and other crafts – from his sack and handed them to the children. Families stepped up to take their photos with him.

Polk Township Veterans Memorial committee members handed out snacks, hot chocolate and Advent calendars. They collected donations of canned and boxed food for local food banks.