The SDVFD&RS held its' 2nd Annual Christmas Tree Lighting on Friday, December 1, 2023.
Although the weather threatened to put a damper on the festivities, a very nice crowd managed to get out to the station for the event. Attendees enjoyed children's activities, games, good food, hot chocolate, fire truck rides, free gift giveaways, holiday music, the Grinch and Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus. As the tree lighting approached, Mr. and Mrs. Claus arrived on Pumper Tanker 63 accompanied by units from Companies 3, 4, 6 and 9 as they filled the crowd with lights and sirens. Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus lit our beautiful tree and spent the rest of the evening greeting boys and girls before returning to the North Pole. Seeing the excitement, the smiles and tremendous support from our community made it a night to remember. Words cannot express the gratitude to all of the members of the SDVFD&RS who planned, prepared, donated, coordinated, and worked so hard to make this special event happen.
In addition to our members, the evening would not have been possible without the support of our community members and businesses. We would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to Bin There Dump That, Companies 3,4 and 9, Mr. Dan Raley, Ms. Dana Stauffer, St. Mary's County Department of Emergency Services, Dj Sexton, Great Mills Trading Post, Harry Lundeberg School of Seamanship, J&M Service Center, Lexington Park Rescue Squad, Mrs. Linda Dean, Piney Point Elementary School, St. George's Catholic Church and lastly to our community residents. All of you lifted our spirits as we kicked off the Holiday season. Thank you all for making this community event a magical one.

All photos courtesy of Mike Wilson, SDVFD&RS Photographer