“A Firehouse Christmas”

A wonderful holiday tradition was renewed in Coyle this past weekend, with the return of “A Firehouse Christmas.” The event made its full return after being put on hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and was held Saturday, December 10, at the Coyle Volunteer Fire Department.

Coyle Trustee Dusty King said that the central focus was a community toy drive, but this year, it also included a complete set of activities for the surrounding community, including baking Christmas sweets, making Christmas wish lists and taking pictures with Santa Claus. There were also games available for attendees of all ages to enjoy. Finally, there were prize giveaways, including family competitions to win four prizes of $500 and $250 gift cards, family meal prize baskets including a roast with all the vegetables and seasonings, and a prize package consisting of a movie, popcorn, and candy.

The event was capped with a direct show of support for a local Coyle family who lost their home and belongings to a fire earlier this month. While local and state organizations have provided support to this family, Coyle leaders hoped to be able to provide a good Christmas for the family in spite of this devastating loss.

“We are reaching out to you because we’d like to show the generosity of our community, but also remind people of families in need,” said King.

King further stated that the Town of Coyle has used other community events throughout the year to raise funds for the toy drive, such as the annual July 4th celebration and the Coyle Fall Festival. However, town leaders are looking to drum up additional support in nearby communities for next year’s event, asking for donations and support for the toy drive, and particularly to help the needy families in and around Coyle.

Coyle’s broad coverage area has also inspired hope for greater giving. King state, “We would absolutely love to be able to sponsor a family for each of the fire departments and even the Langston police department next year.”

“To be clear, our community is not just within the borders of the town of Coyle. The children we support, our school district covers in excess of 180 square miles,” King said. “We work very closely with the Langston and Meridian fire departments as well, and those towns. We are all one big community. We are hoping that coverage of this event and the amazing people of this area will bring more awareness and help us to reach more families in years to come.”