Santa, the elves and his reindeer are ramping up to meet demand this holiday season. Thanks to a stellar management team, he’s been able to optimize production and carve out additional time to greet boys and girls from Bloomington-Normal as they prep their cookie plates and hang their stockings with care.
Saint Nick stopped by WGLT to chat about Santa at the Station. He said there are a lot of helpful Santa look-alikes out there. But he wanted Bloomington-Normal to have the real deal.
“I thought this would be a great opportunity and such fun,” said Claus.
He could have chosen any community to spend his month, but Claus said McLean County’s kids are at the top of his list.
“I’ve had no complaints with behavior,” he said. “These kids are great. I’ve met with kids from all kinds of families all over both towns. I’ve never had any trouble.”
On occasion, Claus gets difficult requests. Last year, a child asked for an iPhone that hadn’t been released yet.
“That was a little tricky,” he said, promising this kid he’d do his best to get the newest version by making a quick phone call to Tim Cook at Apple.
“He’s always willing to help,” said Claus.
It takes a village to get Christmas ready to go, and Claus said his team is the reason he can take so much time away from the shop for Santa’s Station and other appearances. An elf named Claudius handles the day-to-day calendar.
“[Claudius] has been around for several hundred years and he’s really good at what he does," Claus said.
And the yearly flow is overseen by a management team. Claus said they’re pretty much ready to go all year round — except a few days after Christmas when everyone takes a few days off.
“I’m not beach ready,” he said. “I burn something terrible. So, I usually take a few days off and just putter around the house, make sure the suit is mended, get my shoes shined and relax. I start up about a week after that and start rolling again for next year. It takes pretty much all year to keep ready.”
With a wetter winter expected than in previous years, Claus anticipates few issues parking his sleigh on rooftops to deliver gifts, citing Rudolph’s expert navigation skills. And for families who don’t have chimneys or fireplaces, Santa said that’s not a problem.
“Sometimes it’s a window that’s convenient,” he said. “Sometimes I’ve just got to go in the front door. There’s always a way to get in when you’ve got the power to do it.”
Peanut butter cookies with a cold glass of milk are his favorite, but he said not to worry if you have a peanut allergy; he loves chocolate chip and snickerdoodles, too. But more than cookie requests, Claus said he wants boys and girls to know that he’s there for them — all the time.
Visit Santa on weekends and select weeknights at Uptown Station. Normal Parks and Rec can set up phone calls with Santa for those unable to visit, and he'll also be making appearances at Eastland Mall.
