NILES­ — Each holiday season as a child, Niles’ Meg Truesdell would peer out the window of her home on Market Street to see the Niles River Santa faithfully bobbing on the St. Joseph River. At night when Santa and his sleigh were illuminated by Christmas lights, Truesdell would give one last glance out the window and wish Santa a good night. Now 45 years old, Truesdell said she continues the tradition and bids Santa goodnight each time she drives over the Broadway Bridge.

It is stories like these that motivate Mike Peters, Larry Pickles and a group of volunteers dubbed “Santa’s Helpers” to brave the cold, the fog, the ice and log jams that sometimes surface when tugging the 24-foot pontoon out onto the St. Joseph River.

This year, Santa returned to the St. Joseph River on Nov. 26 and will remain afloat until mid-January. He is located on the river across from the Lakeland-Niles Hospital, 31 N. St. Joseph Ave. and can be seen from the Broadway Bridge.

Trusedell’s story was one of dozens shared on the Niles River Santa’s Facebook page, when the volunteers asked residents to share their memories of the Christmas tradition. Many shared how the tradition is something they looked forward to as children and now share with their own children or grandchildren.

“Those things are why we do it,” Mike said. “What the people get out of it makes it more meaningful than all the effort we put into it.”

Pickles echoed this sentiment.

“It’s there for the joy for generations and now the grandparents of people that loved it years ago have and can share their own special meaning,” Pickles said. “It’s not about us.”

Mike Peters’ father, Roy Peters, who owned and operated East Main Gardens before passing it on to Mike, first started the tradition in 1962. Roy intended to brighten the spirits of children in the Pawating Hospital. At the time, the children’s wing faced east looking out onto the river. Patients in that wing only had to glance out the window to see Santa and his sleigh glowing on the river. Roy was aided by Pete Williams, Hank Hanson and Willie Huss, who helped to bring the Niles River Santa into reality.

“They thought they could bring joy to the children in the hospital,” Peters said. “It just snowballed from that.”

Today, the hospital is called Lakeland-Niles Hospital and while the children’s wing has since moved, patients still get joy from seeing Santa and his sleigh.

Last year, Virginia Strayer wrote to Mike thanking him and “Santa’s Helpers” for bringing her joy during her stay in the hospital. Strayer said it was a comfort to look out her hospital window and see Santa in the river.   

Mike is the owner of East Main Gardens, which was handed down from his father Roy. Mike took over the tradition in 1989. Roy passed away 25 years ago.

While Peters and Pickles have volunteered regularly, they said the community of Niles, including volunteers and small businesses, have helped to keep the tradition alive. This year, Craig Brechtel, a manager at Lowe’s, stepped up to donate new bulbs, a star tree topper and some other parts and pieces that were direly needed for Santa’s sleigh. Other businesses have also donated items to keep the tradition afloat over the years. Largely though, the core volunteers have helped to fund the tradition over the years — a duty that Santa’s Helpers feel is priceless, they said.

Now Mike and Pickles’ own children are getting involved in helping to put Santa out on the river each year. Both said they feel this indicates that the tradition will be upheld for many years to come.

“For us to have the third generation down there — that was special,” Mike said.

For more information, visit facebook.com/pg/NilesRiverSanta/posts/?ref=page_internal.