Santa is making his way to the city of Nitro this weekend, but he might have a different look this year.

It's not Christmas without Santa, and there's no Santa without his sleigh. With the help of a group of students and some plywood, Santa Claus is coming to town.

Gary Bennett is a carpentry instructor at Ben Franklin Vocational Center in Dunbar. His students were recently met with a challenge.

"The city of Nitro called. They had an old sleigh and something happened to it. It got destroyed or badly damaged," Bennett said. "They wanted to know if we would be up to doing a sleigh."

Bennett's class took the challenge and flew with it.

"I had them Google pictures. We used this one off the internet and we got different ideas on how to do a sleigh or just the basics," Bennett said. "Then we just tweaked it ourselves."

By repurposing a couple of two-by-fours, a donated couch and some cherry red paint, Santa had a new ride.

Joe Stevens serves as the executive director for Nitro's Convention and Visitors Bureau. He said the assignment provided students with a unique challenge.

"It gave them an opportunity to maybe think outside the box a little bit," Stevens said. "It gave them an opportunity to use their imagination and it gave them an opportunity to get on Santa's nice list."

Thanks to a group of hands-on students, the big man will soon be making his way to the city of Nitro.

"That's what it's all about. It's for the kids to enjoy and to really get them into the spirit of Christmas and the holidays, and let them see Santa because he's making his big arrival," Stevens added.

The city of Nitro's Christmas parade will kick off Saturday, Dec. 4 at 6 p.m.