There were smiles aplenty last Saturday as the Westbrook firefighters, accompanied by Santa Claus and two of his elves, made surprise visits to 40 families as part of the department’s annual Toys for Kids campaign.

Chief Gary Littlefield and Capt. Rick Dorr, as well as Westbrook Mayor Bruce Chuluda, gathered with other volunteers at Westbrook City Hall, where bags of toys were loaded into the back of a rescue unit and the department’s service pickup truck. A ladder truck also accompanied the holiday motorcade.

Santa and his elves arrived in a limousine and toured the Westbrook neighborhoods, eliciting stares and smiles from onlookers as well as motorists, who stopped to let them pass.

Even children who hadn’t been chosen to receive gifts came out of their houses and apartments, running down the street to greet Santa. Children shouted down to him from second- and third-story windows, while others just stood mesmerized in open doorways and on porches.

Devante Gilmore, 6, was busy stringing popcorn for his Christmas tree when Santa rang the doorbell and brought in his bag of toys. Devante showed Santa the tree, as well as other ornaments, including a mechanical singing Santa, in the family’s small living room on Brown Street.

Santa and the elves posed for a photo with Devante, while parents Melissa and Arthur Williams and big brother Ricky Howell looked on.

“This is so wonderful,” Melissa Williams said. “I really cannot believe this. This is so great.”

This is the fourth annual Toys for Kids campaign that the Westbrook Fire Department has sponsored.

“It was very small at first, and back then, we just helped out,” said Littlefield. “Now we do it all.”

Littlefield and his wife, along with 10 firefighters, shopped for gifts for children ranging in age from 1 to 14. There were games and dolls for younger children, as well as radios and Legos for older children. Firefighters even wheeled out a brand-new red bicycle that would go to one lucky child, thanks to an anonymous donor.

More than $4,000 was spent this year on Christmas toys. An additional $1,000 worth of toys and monetary donations were also brought in to Westbrook City Hall, said the city’s financial director, Sue Rossignol.

Dorr said that much of the money comes from fundraising events that the department holds each year. A game featuring the comedy basketball team the Court Jesters and a softball game starring retired Red Sox players are among the events the firefighters held this past year to make the Christmas gift drive possible.

Melissa Williams said her son had never seen Santa delivering gifts. When she asked him what he thought of his Christmas surprise, he didn’t hesitate.

With wide eyes and just-as-wide a grin, he said, “This is so good!”

Devante Gilmore, 6, chats with Santa and the elves while brother Ricky Howell and Mom Melissa Williams look on.Devante Gilmore tears into his bag of gifts as Santa, the elves, Mom Melissa Williams, Dad Arthur Williams and brother Ricky Howell look on.Santa and his helpers were in Westbrook Saturday, spreading cheer and helping the fire department deliver presents.Santa is escorted on visit to Westbrook by Fire Capt. Rick Dorr, who organizes the annual visit.ThereSomeone is tooling around Westbrook on a new bike. Santa got smiles and hugs from Westbrook kids all during the day.A bag of gifts is hustled off for inspection by two local lads. Not everyone is sure, on first making his acquaintance, that a visit from Santa is a good thing.The Westbrook Fire Department makes sure Santa gets only the biggest, toughest, strongest elves when he comes to town.