As the son of a fallen firefighter, 15-year-old Troy Santner didn't want other kids to ever feel forgotten at Christmas like he sometimes had growing up. Like the Lost Boys of "Peter Pan," the Niceville, FL, teen—only an infant when his dad, North Bay Fire District Chief Thomas J. Santner, died in 2005—wanted to make sure these "lost children" didn't fall through the cracks.
It was that concern and compassion that sparked a special civics class project for Troy four years ago. For his class, he sent 20 simple holiday cards and gifts to the children of firefighters who had died in the line of duty.
"I thought that it would be cool to do something that would be bigger and better," he said.
That class project has now grown into the Troy Santner National Children of Fallen Firefighters Fund. Working with the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, Troy raised more than $2,000 in order to send gifts and cards to more than 200 kids in 2018. This year, he collected $8,000, which will go toward brightening the Christmas of more than 400 children.
"I'm very proud of him," said Troy's mom, Janet Santner. "He's very dedicated about making improvements (to the program). … His dad's favorite time of year was Christmas."
Troy's holiday efforts begin each year in the summer with a Christmas in July fundraising push, although he's raising money throughout the year. In September, he kicks off a full-court press on social media and starts setting the wheels in motion, so that the cards and gifts can be sent to the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation in Emmitsburg, MD, by early December. From there, they are sent out to the children.
Originally, Troy tried to send individualized presents to the children. As the program has grown, however, he's needed to pull back a bit on the personal touch. He still adds a handwritten message to each card, a task Janet says can require quite a bit of time because of her son's physical and medical issues as the result of being born prematurely.
"He feels it's important that a signature is on it to make it personal in order to show other kids that he's a kid in the same situation just like they are," she added.
Troy's program has become a family affair, too. His four older siblings chip in to some degree. One brother has helped design mailers and the foundation's logo, as well as helping Troy express his ideas in writing. His sisters, who live in different parts of Florida, distribute letters and fliers in their areas. Troy's oldest brother, a firefighter/paramedic, reaches out to colleagues about the program.
One of the most rewarding aspects of the program for Troy and his mom has been the response among those it's aimed at. At the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation's annual camp for kids, many children have expressed their thanks for the cards and gifts, Janet said. Other families who've received holiday deliveries also have donated to the program as a way to pay the kindness forward, she added.
"I always make sure the month after to keep checking social media to see if kids have received gifts and posted pictures," Troy said.
Janet says one challenge the program has encountered is that because of Troy's young age, some people don't take it seriously. And as the high school sophomore gets older, he hopes to continue to grow and expand his Christmas giving.
"I want to keep it going as long as I can, as long as I have enough support … in order to do more kids and eventually bigger and better gifts," Troy said. "We try to do more kids each and every year."
Unfortunately, as Janet puts it, there will always be another child who has lost his or her firefighter parent.
