Santa Claus is Comin' to Town
Local volunteers play Santa for the holidays, year round
Additional Images
Photo courtesy of Chris Eversole
Mrs. Claus (Betty McDowell) supports Hugh McDowell in all of his endeavors as Santa Claus.
It is that time of year again. It is time for shopping, out-of-town trips and a break for the holiday season.
But not for these guys.
John Seibler, Dennis Pollard and Hugh McDowell are members of Santa America, a non-profit organization in which volunteers dress up as Santa Claus and spread some holiday cheer to families and children in need."Most of us feel this is kind of a calling, something we were born to do," Pollard said.
The three Santas work with Haven Hospice, as well as other organizations, and visit families and children in hospitals and hospice situations. They also make appearances at local charity fundraisers, holiday parties, schools, daycares and many other places.
"We just want Santa to [come] by and make everybody happy," Siebler said, "and that's my job and I think I do a pretty good job at it."
Seibler has a real white beard and only dresses in red and green, no matter what time of year it is. He carries plastic coins that say "I got caught being good," which he gives to kids he meets when he is out and about.
"I like being Santa year round," Seibler said. "With a real beard, whenever I leave the house, I'm Santa."
McDowell has been Santa for about six years, and plans on Ho-Ho-Hoing even more often after he retires in three years. At first he considered being Santa as a way of earning an income after retirement, but he said he has learned there is so much more to it. He can touch lives as Santa.
"I think, as the years have gone by, that part of Santa has become much more important," McDowell said.
McDowell said he has made a handful of visits with Haven Hospice. On one such occasion, he said he visited an elderly couple. The wife was sick, but when she saw Santa she got up and moved about the house. McDowell said he and the couple talked a lot about traveling, the love for which they all had in common.
"I think it perked up her day," McDowell said. "It certainly perked up mine."
Pollard said it is wonderful working with Haven Hospice, and it is something he is glad to do. And he does not do it just for children. Something he said he will never forget is the face of a man he visited in the hospital. Pollard said the man walked up to him, accompanied by his two daughters, and held his hand but did not say anything. Pollard said he could just see in the man's face that he was reliving his memories of Santa.
"Now matter how ill the person is, no matter how close they are to going to heaven, no matter how their day is going, their face just lights up," Pollard said.
Both Siebler and McDowell started as Santa because of their beards.
"I've always had a beard, and it's slowly turned white," McDowell said.
McDowell said a saleslady told him he should grow it out one day, and then he would look just like Santa Claus.
A similar thing happened with Siebler, who decided to let his beard grow out after he retired. When it grew long and snowy white, a salesman told him he could be Santa too.
"At first they said I looked like Hemingway," Siebler said, "and then as it got longer they said, 'Hey, you look like Santa Clause.'"
Now, Siebler has four different Santa suits, all ordered and custom-made to fit him. He said he is lucky because his hair grows white, and he does not have to treat it like other Santas do.
Pollard said he has been dressing up as Santa throughout most of his life. He started as Santa in a school play in the fifth grade and was Santa for the kids of his co-workers when he was in his twenties. In 2007, he and his friend who owns a pizza parlor, decided it would be fun to have Santa Claus visit the restaurant.
"That was my first formal appearance, so to speak," Pollard said.
McDowell and Siebler both attended the Charles W. Howard Santa Claus School in Michigan. They attended a three-day workshop where they were trained how to be like Santa.
McDowell said he has been asked for Christmas gifts of all sorts. He said people of all ages have asked to be healed and for their mother to return. One man approached him and told him he was about to get divorced, and talked to him about preventing it.
"I've discovered there's a real mission quality to this," he said.
He said the adults know there is not anything he can do like that, but Santa is a symbol of hope and compassion for many people. And because McDowell has a real beard and looks like the real Santa, people turn to him all the time.
"You have to honor that and be on duty all the time, because you never know," he said.
McDowell said he was once in a store with his wife, and a couple came up to them and just started talking to them like they were old friends. Neither of them had any idea who the other couple was. They just came up to them because they recognized Santa.
All three agree that the faces of the children are their favorite part of what they do.
"For little kids, you just touch their lives for five minutes and they'll remember you for the rest of their life," Seibler said.
All the kids see is Santa, and whatever he says is the truth.
McDowell said one time, back when he first started as Santa Claus, a little boy came up to him, hands on his hips, and asked if he was the real Santa. McDowell said he babbled something to him in response and the boy said "You are the real Santa! You brought me those Spiderman gloves last year."
McDowell said he just laughed. He said he jokes, when people ask him how he became Santa, that his Ph.D. in molecular biophysics just naturally morphed into dressing in the red suit and growing out the white beard.
Seibler said he has always enjoyed working with kids, and used to be a scout master. He said he likes helping children create goals for themselves and helping them achieve them. He is happy that is something he can continue to do.
"The golden years have some gold in them after all," Seibler said. §
Elizabeth Behrman is a student in UF's College of Journalism and intern at Tower Publications. She may be contacted through the editor. editor@towerpublications.com
