With Christmas just around the corner, Santa and Buddy the Elf are at it again, spreading holiday cheer around Redmond neighborhoods.

Redmond Fire Apparatus Program Supervisor Doug Jones (Santa) along with the help of Redmond Fire Mechanic Brian Barrett (Buddy the Elf) and other city and community volunteers are cruising around Redmond neighborhoods in a vintage GMC fire truck in the days leading up to Christmas.

The community tour is part of the “Santa in the Neighborhoods” food and toy drive, which is sponsored by the Redmond Firefighters’ Union. So far, the drive has raised more than $1,000 in cash donations and a “sleigh full” of toys, clothing and canned food, according to Jones. The union will donate $500 to the cause also, Jones said.

The drive benefits Redmond-based Hopelink, a regional human services organization.

The Santa tour will continue tonight in southeast Redmond.

After that, there will seven more tours before the program ends Dec. 19. Here’s the schedule:

• Dec. 14: East Education Hill

• Dec. 15: West Education Hill

• Dec. 16: Central Education Hill

• Dec. 17: North Education Hill

• Dec. 18: Rose Hill/south Redmond

• Dec. 19: To be determined