Families get Christmas assistance

A “Firefighters for Santa” event last week made a brighter holiday for 71 Three Rivers and Three Rivers-area families.

Major contributions from Meijer and Armstrong International resulted in more than $6,000 allocated for food and toys purchased and given to area families in need. Members of the Three Rivers Fire Department met Sunday and delivered door-to-door the bags of donated items.

Now in its fifth year, Firefighters for Santa helped a record number of area families in 2012. Donated items included a ham, groceries, presents and personal-hygiene items.

Additional donations were secured from Kadant-Johnson Corp., the Rigdon family and Dr. Raul Andino and his family.