Dec 18, 2003 By Frances Borsodi Zajac 8 min read

His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry! His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,

“And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow.’

Sitting on his chair at the Santa Claus exhibit in front of the Bon Ton department store at Uniontown Mall, Santa Claus attracts his share of attention.

Little boys and girls line up to see the big guy with wonder in their eyes. They sit on Santa’s lap and talk to him. They tell him their Christmas wishes. They walk away with a smile and a coloring book.

But faces really brighten up and greetings are called almost non-stop as Santa walks through the mall on his way to his workshop to take a break. An unexpected treat, people of all ages are thrilled to see him.

“Hey, Santa!’ “Santa, how are you?’ “Going to feed the reindeer, Santa?’ young and old call out to the man in the bright red suit.

He greets them all and stops to distribute coloring books to children he meets on the way. Some children talk excitedly while others are shy.

“There are a lot of great little kids and that’s the main reason I do this,’ said Bill Huey of Brownsville, who portrays Santa Claus Mondays through Saturdays at the Uniontown Mall. “I’ve been doing this for 20-some years. I started in my 20s and I’ve been at the mall for 15 years with the exception of two years.’

Being at the mall, Huey, who actually looks like Santa Claus even without the suit, sees more children than most Santas. Some days, he visits with 200 to 300 children while other days he sees a couple thousand.

“We see about 10,000 children a year,’ said Huey. “Some are repeats. You really get to know some. They keep coming back and their faces become familiar. You can tell what their Christmas list is.’

The hours can be long, but they are filled with fun. Without a doubt, Huey said, “It’s the best job you could ever have.’

Every Christmas needs a Santa and there are many people throughout the district who have experienced the thrill of playing Santa for their church, school or office party.

Bob Ellsworth of Point Marion plays Santa for the students of Friendship Hill Elementary School in Springhill Township in the Albert Gallatin School District. He started four years ago when his wife, Penny, who is active in the PTA, volunteered Ellsworth.

“I was nervous at first. Those are pretty big shoes to fill and I wore combat boots for nine years,’ said Ellsworth, who formerly served as a Marine. He’s now a manager of a computer shop in Morgantown.

But Ellsworth has a great time with the students.

“It’s neat. So many bring me pictures and cutouts. They want to give something back to Santa,’ he said.

Jack Dugger of Scottdale, who works in data processing for the Herald-Standard, played Santa for seven years for the Herald-Standard and HSTV. Children from throughout the community sat on his lap.

Dugger’s not exactly certain how he got his start: “They needed a Santa, and I volunteered.’

But he loved the job: “I like interacting with the kids. Most of them are shy. I really feel sorry for the poor kids. You know they’re not going to have much for Christmas and you wish you could do more for them.’

That’s a common drawback to playing Santa, but most of them try to make the best of it.

“Part of the reason I love this is that I’m the only Santa some of these kids get to see,’ said Ellsworth, referring to children who he knows won’t be receiving much for Christmas.

Each Santa usually offers the children who visit a little treat. Some suspect that’s the only Christmas treat some of these children will receive.

Huey said, “You get your heart ripped out sometimes. Kids say, ‘I want a daddy.’ ‘I want my brother back.’ You can tell sometimes that the only thing some kids are getting for Christmas is the coloring book they walk out with.’

At Uniontown Mall, Huey works with Cynthia Toth of Uniontown, who has been the manager of the Santa Claus on and off for 27 years. When they see a child with a special need, they try to help.

“I have people who work with me and if a little child needs stuff, we get it. One little girl came in just wearing canvas shoes and a sweater. By the time she left the mall, she had a new coat and a new pair of shoes,’ said Toth. “She sat on Santa’s lap and asked for Thanksgiving dinner and Thanksgiving was already over. Some days are sad and some are fantastic. How wonderful to be a child again and have that imagination.’

Missy Thayer of Connellsville, who is an education major at Clarion University, is one of Santa’s helpers at the Uniontown Mall.

“I just love the kids,’ she said. “I think it’s good for them to have something to believe in.’

The youngest are best at believing the Santa they see is the real thing.

Ellsworth noted, “Kindergarten through second grade, they’re just enamored. There are a lot of wide-eyed kids. A lot talk about their brothers and sisters: ‘I’ve been good but my brother’s been bad.’ As they get older, the middle ones start to doubt. They analyze the situation. The older kids recognize me. They say ‘Hey, you’re Robert’s dad. How’s it going?”

Children who are certain this is the real McCoy want to have their curiosity satisfied.

“Sometimes they ask me where Rudolph is,’ said Dugger, who would also tell the children he liked “chocolate milk and chocolate chip cookies and Rudolph likes carrots and sugar.’

“They ask you where the reindeer are, how many reindeer you have and what are their names,’ said Huey.

“Last year, they asked where my reindeer were and I said it was so warm that it was too hot for them. I had to fly down. You do what you can to keep the illusion there for them,’ said Ellsworth.

And being Santa means you have to know all about the toys the children want.

Dugger said, “What I tried to do is watch television commercials on the hottest toys so when you go in, you have an idea of what they’re talking about.’

“The best thing for Santa,’ said Huey, “is to go to a toy store and spend a couple of hours.’

Of course, Santa can get tripped up every now and then.

Huey told a story about a boy who came to visit him and asked for “poop!’ He asked again what the little boy wanted for Christmas and received the same answer. Huey was puzzled until the boy’s mother explained, “He goes to his grandfather’s farm and he wants a manure spreader.’

Spending time with the children also means that Santa can occasionally tell the naughty from the nice children.

“Sometimes you can tell if they’re ornery,’ said Dugger.

Huey said, “I really like the kids, although there are times you get frustrated with kids here and there. You try not to. It’s more the situation than the kids.’

And there are those kids you can’t forget.

Huey talked about a little girl he first saw when she was 4 and too shy to sit on Santa’s lap. Visitation was slow so Huey spent time talking with her and finally she sat on his lap. He gave her a coloring book and she left. About 10 to 15 minutes later, she returned without her mother. She sat on Huey’s lap until her frantic mother showed up and Huey told her not to run away from her mother again.

“I’d see her every year. It got to the point I would visit her home. Kids would tell her there’s no such thing as Santa and she told them, ‘I know Santa,” Huey said. “She was a great little girl.’

And if you don’t think children are protective of Santa, ask Huey about the time he agreed to visit the children of Brownsville’s police chief. Santa was in the police car with the chief and another officer when they received a call. When they arrived, children thought the police had arrested Santa and pelted the car with snowballs.

In a world with war, hunger, poverty and sickness is Santa still important?

These men think so.

“I listen to what their dreams are,’ said Dugger.

“The world has changed so fast and people are forced to grow up so fast. Kids learn way too much too fast,’ said Ellsworth. “The longer they believe, the better in my point of view.’

Said Huey, “Santa’s not necessarily the guy. It’s a spiritual feeling. It’s more. If people believe in Santa, Christmas is a little bit better.’