The Real Mr. Claus
by Susan D. Rock
Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus and he lives not at the North Pole, but on the North Shore—of Lake Tahoe. The jolly softspoken fellow with the snow-white beard, twinkling eyes, and love for little kids has parked his sleigh in Incline Village after visiting for some 20 years. "It's much more scenic than the North Pole," says the bespectacled local who legally changed his name last March.
Five months into growing his now 14-month-old beard, people started suggesting he "play" Santa, says Claus. "As it got closer and closer to Christmas, I started to get this particular look, and got such a great reception that I went ahead and put in for a name change." He's got a passport, driver's license and Social Security card to prove that he is, indeed, Santa Claus. Waving off questions about his prior name and history, Claus is adamant about keeping his past unpublished.
He does disclose that he's a trained actor who studied film and television at New York University and is a member of the Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, and Writers Guild of America. Claus will star in Macy's Christmas television commercial this year, and though he has an agent and makes a living playing the part, he insists that this is no act!
"My heart goes out to children," says Claus, who is also an ordained priest of the United Catholic Church, an independent fellowship for fallen Catholics. "There are a lot of organizations that help children in crisis, but no single spokesperson for them, so why shouldn't Santa step up to the plate and tackle some of these hard issues that affect their lives?" Claus' paid appearances enable him to volunteer for a satchelful of local and international organizations. "We were all children once—including Santa—and many of us tend to forget that. I think the spirit of love and giving is what kids tend to connect with."
One image Claus is slowly shedding is that of his big belly. "In other places kids are starving but in our country there's a huge epidemic of childhood obesity, which I'd like to help stem," says Claus, who is on track to lose 100 pounds by Christmas with his "Santa Diet," a combination of different weight-loss plans. A regular at the Lake Tahoe Wellness Center in Kings Beach, he's walking off some of that weight, though some days he can be spotted driving his red and white Ford Bronco with its "Go Jolly" bumper sticker and "Santa4U" plates.
"The Santamobile comes in handy when I don't have access to the sleigh, and when there's not enough snow," says Claus. "The three large antennae are how I keep in touch with the elves." They also help him perform a few public safety roles. Befitting a man who knows who's naughty and who's nice, Claus is involved with Washoe County Sheriff's Citizens Homeland Security Council and Emergency Response Team, and U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary.
Claus, who swears he's not responsible for the commercialization of Christmas, says he looks at being Santa as a blessing. "I love Santa's spirit. That's what I think most people are drawn to, the spirit of giving and love. And love of course is the greatest gift you can give or receive. That spirit lives all year long—it doesn't have to be just at holiday time."