Document text
Santa needs help By Buffy Pollock Updated: Oct 10, 2022 05:27 PM A A Ed Taylor has a Zoom call Friday with other Santas at his home in Central Point. [Jamie Lusch / Mail Tribune] Santas check in with Ed Taylor during a Zoom call Friday. [Jamie Lusch / Mail Tribune] Southern Oregon’s very own Santa, living under the alias of “Central Point resident Ed Taylor” (wink, wink), is reckoning with a holiday fate worse than an excessively long naughty list or shortage of sugar cookies. Santa needs help during the days leading up to Christmas to man all the events where the jolly old elf is needed. But the supply of Santas has been on a downward slide, so Taylor is on a mission to build up the ranks in time to give Christmas joy a fighting chance of survival. While he doesn’t profess to be the “real Santa,” Taylor is likely one of the closest contenders to pulling off real Santa vibes in his red suspenders and a surprisingly authentic Santa grin. Taylor helms his own organization that mentors and supports some 4,800 Santas, Mrs. Clauses and Santa helpers. (One would be hard-pressed to believe he didn’t have connections at the North Pole, so it’s best to err on the side of good behavior). Taylor, who has appeared in a slew of Hollywood movies and around the country at large-scale holiday parties, began Santa-ing about 15 years ago. While the pandemic affected every other aspect of life, Taylor said, Santa Claus actors were an especially vulnerable bunch — an older population, usually more “jolly” in stature — and the number of Santas had already been on a slow decline before the pandemic. COVID-19 was like a nail in the coffin, forcing retirement in some cases, worse in others. Even Taylor admits to going “mostly virtual” during COVID-19 restrictions, spreading holiday cheer via Zoom sessions. “Most people don’t think about any of this, really, but we’d already been noticing, even probably a little bit before the pandemic hit. Prior to 2018 and 2019, there seemed to be much more demand for Santa to make appearances than there ever had been before — coupled with there being fewer Santas to go around,” he said. “Now the demand is going up even more, and we desperately need to recruit more Santas.” Taylor said a large chunk of the pre-holiday bookings for Santa began trickling in by early September. “About 85% of Santa requests happen in November — we’re not even there yet, and we can’t fill the requests we do have,” said a worried Taylor. Confirming Taylor’s suspicion, an online site dubbed HireSanta.com said demand for Santa Claus appearances had increased 120% compared with pre-pandemic rates. In contrast, the supply of Santas is down, by some accounts, around 20%, with a number of Santas retired or passed away during the pandemic. Nationalsanta.com compiled results of a 2021 “Red Suit Survey,” which found a number of Santas had either retired or stopped working during the pandemic. Some 33% gave up in-person appearances during the pandemic’s height, instead portraying Santa via video chat apps like Zoom, Skype and FaceTime. Taylor said the changing face and presence of Santa is something he’s working to keep up with via his own site, worldwide-santa-claus-network.com , which he began in 2013. With “over 4,800 members,” the site offers year-round classes, mentorship and other resources to Santa Claus actors and their support crews. He offers everything from a quick start guide for new Santas and regular Zoom sessions to mentorship services and an extensive, multipart curriculum. “We help guys get better at portraying Santa. We help them get bookings. It’s been eye-opening how many people request Santa, and they can’t find one,” Taylor said. Gold Hill resident John Zimmermann, this year’s “Rogue Valley Mall Santa,” said he’d noticed more demand, including requests for Santa to travel farther than usual. “I’ve noticed the requests are coming in more and more, and the gigs seem like they’re from farther away. More people are having trouble finding Santa performers,” he noted. “I’ve been doing Santa for about 25 years — in Chicago for 17 years and then Fresno before moving up here. It’s busier than I remember it ever being.” The Santa hustle, whether infrequent or a regular holiday gig, is hard to resist for anyone with a desire to spread holiday cheer, he noted. “At the end of the day, it’s just a bunch of guys — and even a few gals — doing what they love,” he said. “I look back and remember being reluctant at first and then quickly fell in love with it. I think I look a lot better now than I did 15 years ago, but every appearance you gain a little more, you learn the mannerisms. … I think the biggest thing people discover when they portray Santa, after they’ve done it for a little while, is what they become in the process.” While there’s no replacement for the “real deal,” Taylor said authenticity is achievable. “Becoming Santa,” he said with a jolly smile, is a life-changing process. “We find that, when someone becomes Santa, they find themselves being nicer, being more considerate, being more generous … becoming more Santa-like,” Taylor added. “I’ve always been a nice guy, I think, but now much more so in my day-to-day life than I ever was. When you’re off duty, you’re still seen as Santa. Everybody you see, everybody that looks at you smiles. Whether it’s a kid or a parent or grandparent, they all smile.” He added, “They all think you're Santa ... and it changes your experience of the world.” Taylor is actively recruiting Santas from far and wide — locally and globally. Potential Santas — and Mrs. Claus fill-ins — should apply ASAP at Santaed.com or worldwide-santa-claus-network.com . Reach reporter Buffy Pollock at 541-776-8784 or [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @orwritergal.