On Dec. 8, Santa Claus arrived on the Toy Express amidst a flurry of snowflakes, bringing with him Mrs. Clause and all their little helpers. It was a big day for the transportation department of Falcon School District 49, host of the annual Santa’s Toy Express for children with special circumstances.Each year, 49 children are selected to participate in the event, which was founded six years ago by a group of Falcon school bus drivers who saw a need in the community. The children are picked up early in the morning by the district and taken to the auxiliary service building of the transportation department where breakfast is provided. They are then paired with a sponsor and given a $30 gift certificate to Wal-Mart, where they can Christmas shop for their families and friends.After returning, the children can watch a Christmas movie, have a balloon made and receive a gift from Santa Claus. Every child is given a new coat, a new backpack, a $10 gift and a $25 gift card to Safeway. The event is made possible by the generous contributions of the Falcon community, including the Falcon Fire Protection District, Wal-Mart, Safeway, State Bank, Farmers State Bank and Mountain View Electric.”To see the kids will tear your heart out,” said Doug Gray, a staff member of the department. “They love it though; in fact, everybody loves it.”
