Local Santa Has a Blast Handing Kids Money

A lot of people in our community found ways to reach out to others this holiday season, by adopting families, supporting and volunteering at the Salvation Army or Haven of Rest, or many other ways.   One local citizen found a unique way of giving back.

Jim Hughes started dressing as Santa a few years back at some office Christmas Parties.  He even grew a giant beard for it.   Well, this past Monday, Christmas Eve, Jim donned his Santa outfit and headed out to the spot in front of the Battle Creek Walmart, normally manned by various panhandlers.   Jim decided to do the opposite on that spot on Beckley Road, and hand out envelopes with money in them to the first 100 children he saw.

Well, sure enough, as promised, at 3pm on Monday Jim and a couple of elves showed up.  Since we had talked to him on the 95.3 WBCK Morning Show that day, a couple of people were there waiting to see what would happen.

Afterward Jim said, "What a ball!  I've gotta change professions because people were trying to give ME money.  I could have picked up more than I passed out!  It took about and hour and a half and I had a lot of fun."