Firefighter dresses as Santa Claus to bring joy to sick kids [Video]

A firefighter’s holiday side hustle has brought joy to countless kids over the years — but David Saunders, 50, says moonlighting as Santa Claus has been magical for him, too.

For Saunders, who is based in Fairfax County, Virginia, playing Santa goes beyond tradition — it’s a deeply personal mission inspired by family and fueled by a passion for spreading joy, according to SWNS. 

Saunders, a married father of five, began the holiday gig 16 years ago. At the time, his son, then 6, had an illness that brought them frequently to Children’s Hospital in Delaware.

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“Every time we went, he would see all the really sick children,” he told SWNS. 

“He would leave and always say to me, ‘Man, I wish we could do something nice for all these kids.’ And I would say, ‘Well, you figure out what you want to do, and we’ll try …