WESTON — There’s something about the sight of Santa standing on the doorstep with a huge bag of gifts that makes a child’s eyes go wide.

Early on Saturday, Dec. 19, 4-year-old Caden Meadows gaped with saucer eyes from his doorway. St. Nick stood there illuminated by the porch light. Caden inspected the wrapped gifts inside Santa’s red velvet bag, and then hugged him hard.

The band of joyful givers had set off from Weston City Hall before dawn. The caravan consisted of a fire engine bearing Santa, two pickup trucks loaded with gifts, an ambulance and eight or nine elves. The gifts came from the Weston Giving Tree.

At each home, siren blasts from the fire engine heralded Santa’s arrival. Sleepy residents opened their doors to see St. Nick and a couple of helpers in face masks bearing gifts.

The caravan snaked its way around town, and then headed up Weston Mountain.

City Recorder Sheila Jasperson and Loy Knutzen, of Weston’s public works department, rebooted the giving tree four years ago as a way to make Christmas brighter for the town’s children.

“Loy and I were talking at city hall one day and we decided we needed to do something for our kiddos,” Jasperson said. “It was kind of a wild hair idea and off we went.”

Community members got on board, taking tags from the giving tree at city hall and returned with unwrapped gifts. Loy would play Santa on delivery day. The event grew from 40 children that first year to 175 children.

This year, COVID-19 brought changes and challenges. Santa masked up. His helpers stayed on the porch rather than carrying gifts inside the homes.

Organizers worried that the pandemic might mean a slump in giving even as the list of children grew longer. They needn’t have worried.

Jack Jasperson served as a cheerful drill sergeant on Dec. 19, presiding over the loading and delivery. Clutching a color-coded list of addresses and wearing a cowboy hat bedecked with blinking lights, he confessed that he and Sheila had fretted about the virus’ possible effect on giving. Instead, the opposite occurred.

“It was like somebody took a loaf of bread and it multiplied,” Jack said. “It was abundant.”

“It’s absolutely been amazing,” Sheila said. “We didn’t have one single tag that we had to seek to be filled — everybody came out. The community (and surrounding communities) really pulled together — it’s phenomenal.”

The abundance of donations meant the couple could purchase $25 gift cards for each family to go along with the gifts. Names of the children come confidentially from the school district and other sources.

Sheila and Jack, who don’t have kids of their own, are devoted to the children of Weston, say those who know them. Sheila is an organizer. Jack, a retired military recruiter with his contagious exuberance and Type A personality, is her perfect sidekick.

Jack grew up in Weston, while Sheila is a Portland native who later made the switch to rural life.

“The first time I brought her to my hometown, she fell in love with Weston,” Jack said.

His wife, who eventually became the city recorder, is “blessed with incredible organizational skills and has a pure and giving heart.”

On delivery day, Knutzen wore a brand-new Santa suit. The old suit and boots had disappeared earlier this year during a burglary. He said the town’s parks department and the city of Weston pitched in for a new suit.

At little Caden’s house, Santa looked resplendent in the new ensemble. Jack teared up as he watched the little boy hug Knutzen. Caden’s grandmother expressed humble gratitude.

“This means more than you know,” said Lisa Faircloth. “This town is amazing.”

The children’s father, Nick Meadows, smiled as he watched them.

“They love it,” he said. “They enjoy every bit of it.”

Nearing the end of the route of 54 homes, the group drove up onto snowy Weston Mountain via Highway 204. When side roads proved too hard to navigate, they called one family to hike out to the main road for an impromptu visit with Santa. Upon arrival, the members received an unexpected trove of gifts. The parents teared up. Santa got more hugs.

Later, Knutzen said such joy makes all the effort worthwhile.

“We’re not giving anything up,” he said. “We’re the ones gaining here.”