Imagine if Santa didn't maintain his sleigh. How would he deliver all those toys and gifts to girls and boys in McHenry or anywhere else in the world? Maintenance is as important to Santa's sleigh as it is for your car.

Children all over McHenry are counting on Santa to come down the chimney Christmas Eve. And he will. Ever dependable, Santa will check all the names on his list and check them twice. He and the elves will have all presents ready and wrapped in time for loading in the back of his sleigh. And speaking of his sleigh, his attention to detail includes preparing for the late-night ride.

The sleigh is a critical part of what Santa needs to do his job. Like any vehicle, it requires timely maintenance, especially after the wear and tear of extensive use.

You may say that, “Yeah, but Santa’s sleigh only gets a workout one night out of the year.” That may be true, but when was the last time you drove your car to every child’s me around the world?

And how often does your vehicle go airborne? If you’re a safe driver, the answer to that question is probably never and you’re hoping to keep it that way. But Santa’s sleigh goes airborne from leaving the North Pole, and again at every single house he stops at.

There are almost 2-billion children in the world, between the ages of newborn and 14. That’s one heck of a lot of stops for Santa to makes, even when you consider there are homes with more than one or two children.

And it’s not just getting airborne; the roughest part of Santa’s job are all those landings. They can’t all be soft, smooth landings. Some of those roofs aren’t in the best of shape. From the skids at the bottom of the sleigh, to the body of the sleigh, this is rough duty.

Imagine if one of the runners breaks as Santa makes a landing on a house in McHenry? What’s he going to do? Is that it for all the Christmas presents that he was going to deliver?

From the struts that hold the skids, to the skids themselves, everything needs to be in optimal condition. The mounts attaching the runners to the sled need to be as solid as the skids. The body of the sleigh has to be built to take a beating and maintained in that condition.

Then there’s the steering system. Are the reins in good condition? Are there cracks in the leather? The same goes for the harnesses.

What about the sleigh bells. They play a critical role in communicating his intentions to children who just can’t sleep in anticipation of finding presents under the tree Christmas morning. They're just as important to Santa as the headlights, tail lights, turn signals and brake lights on the car in the garage.

Then there are the ‘engines’ that pull Santa’s sleigh around the world one night out of the year. You may have a V8 or a V6 under the hood of your ride, but Santa has 9 engines out in front of his sleigh. That’s right – 9-reindeer power, when you remember that Rudolph joined the team some time back.

With your car, you need to feed the engine with the right fuel, the right coolant and the right lubricant. With Santa’s engines, whatever snacks may be preferred by Dancer of Blitzen, healthy food is critical. These babies need to keep up their strength.

According to the United Kingdom’s online newspaper, Santa and his sleigh travel 41-million miles every Christmas Eve. No doubt, a little Christmas magic is required to get that job done. But maintenance of his ride is equally important, just as maintenance of your vehicle is critical for you and your family.