Health Crisis Changes How Santas Meet with Children
2020-12-08
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1The coronavirus health crisis has changed how Santa Claus meets with American children.
2Santa now wears a face covering over his white beard.
3He stays behind a barrier and keeps distance for safety.
4He meets with children outdoors or online.
5And some Santas, actually performers who play Santas, just took the season off.
6The physical qualities that make the perfect Santa also increase the risks of COVID-19.
7"Most of us tick all the boxes: We are old, we are overweight, we have diabetes and if we don't have diabetes, we have heart disease," said Stephen Arnold.
8He is the president of IBRBS, a group formerly known as the International Brotherhood of Real Bearded Santas.
9Mitch Allen is president of HireSanta, one of the largest Santa-hiring agencies in the country.
10He said, "Santa safety is our No. 1 concern" and safety is included into every business agreement.
11He added that the coronavirus crisis hurt business at first, but it came back, especially online.
12The average Santa makes $5,000 to $10,000 during a normal season, Allen said.
13Jac Grimes plays Santa in Greensboro, North Carolina.
14He gave up home visits which make up about a third of his business.
15He did it not just for his own health, but to prevent passing the virus from one family to the next.
16At a farmer's market that he works every year, Grimes and his wife dress up as Santa and Mrs. Claus and sit in a parking area.
17They talk to people who remain inside their cars.
18The virus has many Santas and parents turning to online visits.
19Those visits often have led many Santas to turn to their children and others for help learning new computer skills.
20"It has been a challenge," said Christopher Saunders, a Santa performer in Tool, a small town near Dallas, Texas.
21But Saunders and others say online visits are a good, if imperfect, replacement for in-person visits.
22Even Santas with the best jobs are hurting.
23Howard Graham has played Santa for eight years at New York's Radio City Music Hall.
24The place is known for its famous Christmas show with the Rockettes, a dance group.
25This year, he is doing online visits and working five days with a historic railroad in Pennsylvania.
26"I love what I do ... bringing them (children) a little bit of smiles and hope," said Graham.
27Brad Six first played Santa 35 years ago.
28He recently sat on Santa's chair for three hours at a shop in Miami.
29As families sat in front of a plexiglass barrier for photos, Six turned his head so that his face shield did not reflect the camera's light.
30He happily waved children around the barrier so they could tell him their wish list - from a distance about 1.8 meters away.
31As he wished them a Merry Christmas, an elf cleaned the area for the next group.
32Six said the situation is "a little easier physically on Santa's back because he doesn't have to pick anybody up, but it's not as enjoyable because Santa doesn't get the interaction he normally gets."
33But for families, sitting with Santa, even if behind a shield, is a bit of normalcy in unusual times.
34Paul and Sarah Morris and their children, 5-year-old Theo and 4-year-old Sophy, were among the first to visit Six that night.
35"This is definitely different," Sarah Morris said of the situation, "but the kids are excited and that's what matters."
36I'm John Russell.
1The coronavirus health crisis has changed how Santa Claus meets with American children. 2Santa now wears a face covering over his white beard. He stays behind a barrier and keeps distance for safety. He meets with children outdoors or online. And some Santas, actually performers who play Santas, just took the season off. 3The physical qualities that make the perfect Santa also increase the risks of COVID-19. "Most of us tick all the boxes: We are old, we are overweight, we have diabetes and if we don't have diabetes, we have heart disease," said Stephen Arnold. He is the president of IBRBS, a group formerly known as the International Brotherhood of Real Bearded Santas. 4Business is hurting 5Mitch Allen is president of HireSanta, one of the largest Santa-hiring agencies in the country. He said, "Santa safety is our No. 1 concern" and safety is included into every business agreement. 6He added that the coronavirus crisis hurt business at first, but it came back, especially online. The average Santa makes $5,000 to $10,000 during a normal season, Allen said. 7Jac Grimes plays Santa in Greensboro, North Carolina. He gave up home visits which make up about a third of his business. He did it not just for his own health, but to prevent passing the virus from one family to the next. At a farmer's market that he works every year, Grimes and his wife dress up as Santa and Mrs. Claus and sit in a parking area. They talk to people who remain inside their cars. 8The virus has many Santas and parents turning to online visits. Those visits often have led many Santas to turn to their children and others for help learning new computer skills. "It has been a challenge," said Christopher Saunders, a Santa performer in Tool, a small town near Dallas, Texas. But Saunders and others say online visits are a good, if imperfect, replacement for in-person visits. 9Even Santas with the best jobs are hurting. Howard Graham has played Santa for eight years at New York's Radio City Music Hall. The place is known for its famous Christmas show with the Rockettes, a dance group. This year, he is doing online visits and working five days with a historic railroad in Pennsylvania. "I love what I do ... bringing them (children) a little bit of smiles and hope," said Graham. 10"The kids are excited and that's what matters" 11Brad Six first played Santa 35 years ago. He recently sat on Santa's chair for three hours at a shop in Miami. As families sat in front of a plexiglass barrier for photos, Six turned his head so that his face shield did not reflect the camera's light. He happily waved children around the barrier so they could tell him their wish list - from a distance about 1.8 meters away. As he wished them a Merry Christmas, an elf cleaned the area for the next group. 12Six said the situation is "a little easier physically on Santa's back because he doesn't have to pick anybody up, but it's not as enjoyable because Santa doesn't get the interaction he normally gets." But for families, sitting with Santa, even if behind a shield, is a bit of normalcy in unusual times. 13Paul and Sarah Morris and their children, 5-year-old Theo and 4-year-old Sophy, were among the first to visit Six that night. "This is definitely different," Sarah Morris said of the situation, "but the kids are excited and that's what matters." 14I'm John Russell. 15The Associated Press reported this story. John Russell adapted it for Learning English. Hai Do was the editor. 16We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section. 17_____________________________________________________________ 18Words in This Story 19tick - v. to mark (something) with a written tick or check 20diabetes -- n. medical: a serious disease in which the body cannot properly control the amount of sugar in your blood because it does not have enough insulin 21imperfect - adj. having mistakes or problems : not perfect 22plexiglass - n. a clear plastic often used in place of glass 23shield - n. something that defends or protects someone or something 24elf -- n. a small creature in stories usually with pointed ears and magical powers 25interaction - n. the act of talking or doing things with other people