By Kit Maher
MassLive.com
BOSTON — Buddy the Elf took to the streets of Boston to spread Christmas cheer, and quite competitively at that.
Trading his turnout gear for a pair of yellow tights and a green coat, Boston-area firefighter paramedic, Brendan Sullivan, challenged “random pillow warriors” to spirited fights.
Tossing pillows to unsuspecting passersby at Faneuil Hall, Boston Common and Newbury Street, Sullivan caught most people off guard. But, plenty were game.
“All of the participants were steady competition, but as you can see, the white-haired woman got me pretty good,” Sullivan told MassLive.
Shared on Dec. 4, the video has received more than 100,000 views and more than 1,600 shares on Facebook as of 11:00 a.m. on Dec. 6. The video was shot by his brother, Ryan. Neither of them expected hundreds of thousands of people to watch it.
“My brother Ryan and I just wanted to make a funny Christmas video for friends on Facebook to watch. We never thought it would take off the way it did and we’re so thankful.” Sullivan said, adding, “Please if you were in the video, reach out to me!”
Pillow-fighting in the streets isn’t a full-time gig for Sullivan. Inspired by his family, he works at a fire department outside of Boston.
“I knew my whole life that I wanted to be a firefighter like my father and grandfather, and for the past eight years I’ve been doing everything I could to fulfill my dream,” Sullivan said.
Unafraid to duel strangers on the street in full elf costume, he’s made more than a few people laugh along the way, too.
More of his videos can be found at Facebook.com/RealBrendanEdwards.