Santa took time out of his busy schedule at the North Pole to greet hundreds of little ones at the Vero Beach Book Center’s annual Christmas celebration – just as he has done every year since the store opened 40 years ago.
Children and their parents lined up in the children’s book section on the second floor, anxiously awaiting the big guy in red who made his appearance exactly at 11 o’clock, waving to the happy crowd before taking his place in the big Santa chair.
Santa, represented by Ron Davidson, spent time talking to each and every child, asking if they had been good and telling them kindly, “because that is VERY important you know.”
Jade Allen, just 10 weeks old, was Santa’s first visitor, sitting contentedly in his arms as her mom and dad took pictures. Not all the children were as happy about sitting on Santa’s lap, but he usually was able to coax out at least a shy request for a certain toy.
Connor Campbell, 3, was one of those who preferred to stand on his own, but was not at all shy about telling Santa what he wanted. “I want a big robot, a big football, a big helmet and a big dinosaur,” he shouted, swinging his arms wide to emphasize each ‘big.’
“He just learned the sign for big,” laughed his mom Teresa Campbell.
“We started having Santa here the year after we opened in 1976,” said Linda Leonard, who founded the store with husband Tom.
In the store’s early years, the late Chuck Haas wore the red suit every year and Leonard said he had related some of the children’s more poignant requests, such as asking for a relative to get well or a present for someone other than themselves.
“One year when Beanie Babies were very popular we had a shipment of just 12 Princess Diana Beanies,” said Leonard. “To make it fair we held a drawing. Each time they came in with a canned good for the food bank they got to put their name in. We got hundreds of cans.”
One child, who had been diagnosed with cancer and was undergoing treatment, wanted it so badly that she came in several times. When the 12 names were drawn, one of the winners was not present, and try as they might they couldn’t contact that person.
“On Christmas Eve Santa was having dinner with us and suggested bringing the unclaimed Beanie Baby to her,” said Leonard. “He called the parents who were startled to hear Santa’s booming voice, but allowed him to come to the house and give the Diana Beanie to the little girl who was ill. We sat in the car as he went to the door and it just thrilled that family. That was one of our best Christmases ever.”
