DAPHNE — The Christmas spirit was in the air Thursday as Sept. 11 survivors of the New York City Fire Department made a stop in Daphne to bring toys to children who live in areas still impacted by Hurricane Katrina, which hit the Gulf Coast in August 2005.

Sixteen firefighters left New York in eight 24-foot Penske moving trucks at 5 a.m. Tuesday and drove about 550 miles to Knoxville, Tenn. for the night before they began the 750-mile trip to Daphne.

Volunteers from ‘Katrina Kids Christmas’ were also on hand.

The delivery trucks, donated by Penske, contained about $250,000 worth of toys, books and Avon products.

Twelve other firefighters flew into New Orleans and made their way to Daphne to assist with delivering the toys and will caravan behind the delivery trucks to the drop-off locations.

After leaving Daphne the firefighters were headed to Bayou La Batre, Ala., and in Mississippi, the firemen will visit Jackson, Harrison and Hancock counties to spread Christmas cheer.

“It’s just something really special,” Kirk Lester, a retired lieutenant who was with FDNY for 34 years, said. “I think once you do it, it’s contagious; we’ll continue to come for as long as they will have us.”

The Stephen Siller ‘Let us do Good’ Children’s Foundation was the main sponsor for the fourth year. Siller was a firefighter who perished while trying to save lives after the World Trade Center attacks.

Bethesda Outreach Mission in Mechanicsburg, Penn., donated toys, cookies and juice boxes; Liberty Mutual donated $5,000; Merrill Lynch donated $5,000; Avon donated a truck full of products; and Books for Kids — a foundation that promotes literacy in children — donated a truck full of about 10,000 books, according to retired FDNY Lt. Tom O’Connor, who was with the department for 26 years.

The firefighters were treated to a dinner at Felix’s Fish Camp on the Causeway after they arrived Wednesday night.

“I can’t imagine a child not having a Christmas present,” O’Connor said. The department usually brings the toys down but doesn’t see the children receive the toys. This year, they will hand-deliver the toys.

“To be able to stick around and see it makes it all worthwhile,” O’Connor said.

FDNY started to bring supplies down to the area about a month after Hurricane Katrina hit. This was the department’s sixth trip to the area, and the fourth holiday toy drive, O’Connor said.

The Daphne Fire Department was on hand to give the firefighters a send-off from the Hampton Inn. The Mobile Fire Department was also present Thursday morning to escort the fireman to Bayou La Batre where they would be met by that fire department.

“I think it is great what they do,” Tom Walker, firefighter and public information officer at the Daphne Fire Department, said. “It’s such a wonderful thing.

“Helping out the people on the Gulf Coast is so wonderful of them, and we look forward to working with them each year.”

After leaving Bayou La Batre the firefighters will be met by the Franklin Creek Fire Department at the Mississippi state line where they will then go to the Civic Action Complex in Moss Point, Miss.

Firefighters from departments in Pascagoula, Escatawpa, Moss Point and Franklin Creek will help unload the trucks.

The crew will then head to Gulfport, Miss. where they will be escorted by the Gulfport Fire Department to Gulfport First Baptist Church. Members of the Gulfport Ladies Junior Auxiliary and Marines from Toys for Tots will help unload the trucks. The auxiliary will help distribute the toys to area children, according to a press release.

The final stop of the trip will take the fireman to American Legion Post 77 in Bay St. Louis to unload toys.

The firefighters will spend time in Biloxi at the Isle of Capri Casino, IP Casino Resort and Spa and Boomtown Casino, and will enjoy dinner provided by the Hard Rock before departing from the New Orleans airport for New York Sunday.

Toys will also be distributed to Head Start classes where they will personally hand out the toys to the children,” O’Connor said.

Before the fire department left the Hampton Inn in Daphne, topped with Santa Claus hats, the firefighters sang “We Wish You a Merry Christmas.”