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by John Bkila Firefighters never forget to take Santa to the hospital 7 | Friday, December 6, 2013 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | www.insideHALTON.com Oakville Beaver Staff It's a crisp winter day in 1988 and the Oakville Santa Claus Parade has just ended. Local firefighters head back to the station on their pumper truck after travelling the parade route that started on Kerr Street. They pass Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital (OTMH). At the back of the pumper , firefighters Tim Draper , Jake Lowe and Don Davis glance up to the windows of OTMH's pediatric ward and see the faces of tots who couldn't be at the parade that day. "That's really sad. Here they see us driving by and no one was going in to see the kids. The three of us decided that wasn't right," said Draper. So, the trio contacted the hospital to find out how many boys and girls were in the ward, gathered funds on their own and bought toys to deliver to the young patients while dressed in their firefighting gear. "We just thought it was sad for these little ones to be in the hospital for Christmas," Draper said. Twenty-five years later, Oakville firefighters still make an annual holiday visit to OTMH, delivering toys to children and trying to brighten the day of all the patients and staff. This year's visit is Dec. 17. A captain with the Oakville Fire Department since 1998, and a firefighter since 1985, Draper organizes the visits. Lowe and Davis have retired as a firefighter and captain, respectively -- but they still take part when they can. For the first few years, it was the founding trio that made the Christmas trip to OTMH with Davis | submitted photo | Oakville Beaver file photo Above left, in December 1991, Oakville firefighters Tim Draper, left, and Jake Lowe visit with patient Phillip Williamson at Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital. Above right, Lowe and Draper, with the third co-founding member of the annual firefighters' visit to Oakville hospital Don Davis, dressed as Oakey, the firefighting mascot. dressed as firefighting mascot Oakey, said Draper. It grew into a partnership with the Salvation Army and its toy drive, until the Oakville Firefighters' Toy Drive was established to help make sure children in town would have a gift to open for Christmas -- donations can be made at any local fire station. "In the 90s, more firefighters started coming out on their days off, along with Santa, volunteering their time, and we expanded -- working with the hospital to visit its others wards," said Draper. Over the years, the firefighters have also visited emergency, records, day surgery, and dialysis wards as well as the cafeteria -- with cases of candy canes, donated by Fortinos and a smile. "A ward we always make a point to visit is the seniors' ward," Draper said. "It's the ward that's usually the most excited to see us... we always make a point to schedule around their time, visit them and do some caroling. "It's just something the three of us started and has become something dear to our hearts," he said. "The hospital has been there for all of us at some point. Unfortunately, it's something you never want, but have to have. It's sad somebody has to be in there regardless, but especially around Christmas time, and if you're a kid." Celebrating 25 years of the tradition this year, Draper says the firefighters enjoy it. "It's sort of selfish for us," he said, "because we walk through and we start to feel good that we might be brightening up someone's day in the hospital. It's just as exciting for us, as it is for those kids who get wide-eyed when we visit with Santa." see Firefighters on p.15 advertorial 7thingstoknow beforeputtingyourhomeforsale homesellers make 7 deadly mistakes that cost them literally thousands of dollars. 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