Amid the glowing lights of the homes that lined the street just off Route 37, the house stood out for its starkness. No decorations in the yard. No lights twinkling from the roof or the windows.

Only the glow of a Christmas tree in the living room indicated that Christmas was coming, and coming soon.

From the street, cars could be seen zooming along Route 37, many of them likely shoppers buying their last Christmas gifts.

Then, lights appeared at the end of the street. Flashing lights, soon accompanied by sirens broke the quiet of the rainy night. It’s the kind of combination that, just before Christmas, often brings with it bad news. But on this night, the sirens were actually tidings of joy.

No one was more surprised when the trucks from Toms River Fire Company 1 rolled to a stop in front of his house than Kieth, who darted out the door to see what the fuss was about.

The 6-year-old came face-to-face with the Big Man himself: Santa Claus, who had just stepped off the fire truck.

After staring for a moment or two, the questions began.

“Are you one of Santa’s helpers?” he asked, and Santa assured him that no, he was the real thing.

In the family’s cozy living room, with Santa sitting on his couch, Kieth continued to ask questions.

“Well, you’re not very fat,” Kieth said.

“Mrs. Claus made me go on a diet,” Santa replied, as DJ, 4, opened a present. “Rudolph and Donner weren’t very happy with me last year.”

McKinzie, 11, just smiled and quietly waited her turn.

Lynsay Leitner and Rich Walton took in the scene of their blended family, snapping photos and soaking in the moments of what is just the beginning of what will be a very memorable Christmas for their family.

It is a Christmas memory created out of the generosity of dozens of families and businesses in Toms River and beyond, thanks to the fire company. It has become an annual project for the company, one that began more than 10 years ago, said Carl Weingroff, who organizes the annual effort.

“We used to hold a party for our own families, but we realized there were so many people out there who weren’t as fortunate as us,” Weingroff said. The company picks a school each year and approaches the principal for recommendations of which families need help. Then the fire company picks one, and reaches out to the family for suggestions of what they need and some of the children’s Christmas wishes.

“Nothing extravagant,” Rich said, “but just some of the toys they’ve wished for.”

Weingroff – who takes monetary donations and then does the Christmas shopping, often with the aid of his sister – said the effort matters to him because it reminds the world “there are people out there who aren’t selfish.”

The reactions of the recipients every year make it very special, Weingroff said.

“Even though she knew we were coming, just the expression on Lynsay’s face said how grateful she was,” he said. “And the dad had a tear in his eye when we told him about the crib for the new baby.”

The crib was supposed to be a surprise for the family, but logistical problems getting it into the house forced the firefighters to tip their hand on that gift.

Lynsay has been out of work for two years, after the stair railing company where she was an office manager went out of business in the economic downturn. Rich, who worked for a solar company, has been out of work for four months.

Christmas was going to be very sparse as a result, they said.

“The house is in foreclosure,” Rich said, and the family – which will include another child come June, as Lynsay is pregnant – will be moving with their two Chihuahuas, Spageeto and Peanut, to Pennsylvania, near Rich’s family, Lynsay said.

“The kids know we’re losing the house and that we have to move,” she said, “but it hasn’t really set in for them yet.”

While the children opened gifts, a steady parade of volunteers carried bags of food into the kitchen, while others stowed more Christmas gifts in the family’s basement.

The donations received from as far away as Ohio included more than a dozen gift cards – some to area businesses, others that were simply Visa or MasterCard gift cards.

“We can use these for gas,” Lynsay said to Rich.

After each child opened a gift, there was one more wish to fulfill.

“One of Kieth’s wishes was to go for a ride on a fire truck,” Weingroff said, so the children piled out the door – Kieth was the first in line – and into the back with one of the firefighters. With everyone buckled in, the Fire Company 1 truck took a trip around the block, with the lights flashing and the siren sounding as the kids set it off.

“There’s a lot of needy families in the area,” Rich said. “We’re just one of the fortunate ones who got helped.”

“We would like to send out a big thank you to everyone who contributed,” Lynsay said. “It’s helped them have a Christmas that is much more than it would have been otherwise.”

“We would especially like to thank Mr. (Michael) Pallen, the principal at West Dover, for thinking of us,” Rich said.

Weingroff said the following groups, organizations and people contributed donations: Toms River Volunteer Fire Company No. 1’s officers and members; the Weingroff families, Beachwood, the Weingroff-Mansueto family, Beachwood; CrossRoads Realty, Toms River; Rita Powers Casting Group, New York; the Stesner-McNally family,  Bayville; the Collins Crusaders, Bayville; employees of Glendenning Mortgage, Toms River, the all-new World Class ShopRite, Route 37, Toms River; Chapman Family McDonalds; members of The Kiwanis Club of Toms River-Day Break group; Joey D’s Brick Oven Pizza, Toms River, Simply Sun Tanning, Toms River, Honda of Toms River, Route 37; Bubbakoo’s Burritos, Toms River; the Smith family, Toms River; the Zeh Family, Toms River; the Melillo family, Beachwood; the Tunney family, Toms River; the Dusha family, Ohio; the Carangelo Family, Spotswood; Applebee’s, Ocean County Mall;  Five Guys, Toms River; Fortune Buffet, Toms River; Model Nails & Spa, Toms River; Capone’s, Toms River; IHOP, Toms River; BJ’s, Toms River; Toms River Regional Schools – West Dover Elementary School Guidance Office.