What would a Christmas parade be without Santa and his sleigh?
It almost happened with the Festival of Lights parade.
But Dave Bullock, who works at the U.S. Olympic Training Center, volunteered to build a sleigh and harnesses for the reindeer when parade organizers were left without a sleigh.
“Dave spent nine months and 900 hours to complete the sleigh and donate it to the Festival of Lights,” according to the mayor’s office.
To recognize Bullock for his efforts, Mayor Steve Bach will present Bullock with a Spirit of the Springs award at 4 p.m. Tuesday.
The mayor’s office said Bullock stepped up to the plate when board members of the Festival of Lights “found out that they would not have access to the North Pole Sleigh from Cascade.”
“Santa’s sleigh had been provided for more than two decades by the North Pole, Home of Santa’s Workshop, in Cascade. Weather complications and staffing shortages have recently become obstacles for the North Pole,” The Gazette reported in September.
“It’s a tough time of the year for us. We’re so busy,” says Tom Haggard, North Pole’s owner. “It was a lot of fun for a long time, but it takes a toll on us.”
The new sleigh was inspired by the sleigh in the 2011 movie “Arthur Christmas,” according to Kuni Lexus, which sponsored the project.
