Riverdale Reindeer: A Neighborhood Christmas Tradition

What began more than two decades ago as a simple middle school service project has become a beloved Severna Park Christmas tradition — Riverdale Reindeer. On December 7, with Santa suited up, sleigh bells jingling and holiday music filling the streets, the young “reindeer” once again set out on their annual holiday journey through the Riverdale community.

The tradition traces back to 2004, when Tim George, then an eighth-grader living in the community, collected food and toys along his paper route on Riverdale Road for his St. John the Evangelist School service project. Expecting only a few donation boxes, he was astonished when he filled an entire truck with holiday generosity he donated to local charities. Encouraged by the overwhelming response, he asked friends to join him the next year — and a new tradition was born.

When George later went to college, he passed the leadership to his brother, Matt. Since then, the baton has continued moving through relatives, neighborhood teens and families who have lovingly kept the sleigh bells ringing.

Today, Jamie McConville carries the reins as the newest adult reindeer leader, a role her family is excited about. “My oldest son, Wesley, he’s been looking forward to being part of the Riverdale Reindeer for years,” she shared. “So, when we took it over just last year, he was pretty excited about it. He’s in eighth grade now, so we took it over when he was in seventh grade.”

Her younger son, Owen, eagerly joined in as well, and Jamie’s husband, J.B., cheerfully dons the red suit (borrowed from the original Riverdale Reindeer Santa, Kevin Buckley) to play Santa.

The structure has stayed the same — middle- and high-school student volunteers in their classic red Riverdale Reindeer shirts distribute flyers, then return a week later with Santa to collect toys and nonperishable food left on porches. One longtime volunteer, Todd Zenker, loves the initiative and keeps helping even though his own children are grown.

The project is simple but significant. Last year, the cheerful young “reindeer” gathered 2,500 pounds of food for the Caring Cupboard in Pasadena and filled a van with toys for Walk the Walk Foundation in Millersville. Jamie, a self-described organizer, now tracks everything in spreadsheets so each future team can build on the legacy.

This year, 13 middle and high school students joined Santa, Jamie McConville and Jennie Reed (who designed the Riverdale Reindeer yard signs) on December 7 to collect the gifts as Christmas songs played from their decorated three-car caravan, handing out candy canes to kids. After their rounds, everyone returned to the McConville home for hot chocolate, pizza and a well-earned warm-up.

Jamie remembers reading her first Riverdale Reindeer flyer when her family moved into Riverdale Forest in 2017. “I just felt like, wow, this is home,” she said. “This is the kind of community we moved into.”

That spirit of connection is still alive today. Neighbors celebrate holidays together, host gatherings and show up for one another. In fact, at a community Thanksgiving breakfast this year, Jamie met Tim George. “It was pretty cool,” she said. “I was like, ‘Oh, you started Riverdale Reindeer!’”

Jamie shared, “The sense of community behind Riverdale and behind Riverdale Reindeer is just amazing. We love it here — absolutely love it.”

George is now a husband, father and physician assistant in the intensive care unit at University of Maryland Baltimore Washington Medical Center. His parents still live in Riverdale, so he keeps tabs on the tradition he started.

“I love seeing how much it has grown and never imagined it would take off the way that it has,” George said. “I give all the credit to the local kids in the neighborhood, as well as our generous neighbors, to allow it to continue to be such a success. Even in a time where everything seems more expensive, it’s incredible to see how giving our community is during the holiday season.”