12/12/2025
The Santa Who Rolls Through Town With Joy
If you’ve been anywhere around Springfield lately—on the bus, downtown on the square, or waiting at a traffic light—you may have seen him. A flash of red. A snowy white beard. Then the honking starts. Not angry honks, but cheerful ones—little beeps of excitement from drivers who pull over just to snap a photo.
That’s because Santa has been rolling through town for nearly a year now, ever since he bought his Santa suit. And he hasn’t taken it off since.
He visits police officers and firefighters just to brighten their day. He stops to chat with people without housing on the square. He rides the bus in full Santa gear, which, unsurprisingly, makes every bus ride feel like a holiday parade. Kids wave at him through windows. Adults grin like they’re suddenly eight years old again.
Santa also happens to use a wheelchair. He’s been in his chair for 15 years, ever since a brain surgery led to seizures and lymphedema. That hasn’t slowed him down—not even close—but it has shaped the way he moves through the world.
He navigates everywhere on his chair, though it isn’t always easy. Sidewalks around town are broken in places. Many businesses still don’t have automatic doors, making simple errands a challenge. And sometimes drivers don’t notice wheelchair users at all—something he knows too well.
One day, a car hit him and knocked him down a four-foot embankment. He landed in the hospital with multiple broken ribs. Ask him about it now, and he’ll give practical advice with a Santa-style twinkle: “Get a flag or something big so people can see you. The American flag works great for me!”
Despite everything he’s been through, Santa radiates joy. His favorite moments? Talking with kids. He always asks the classic question: “Have you been naughty or nice? And the kids always deliver:
One little boy proudly confessed,
“I only hit my brother twice—and it wasn’t in the face, just the belly!”
A little girl sighed dramatically,
“My sister pulls my hair and sometimes jerks me off my feet.”
Santa listens, laughs, and lets kids feel heard. He loves them—and he loves feeling useful, connected, and part of something bigger.
When asked why he does it, his answer is simple: “I love to make people smile. People don’t have a lot to smile about these days. I can help them do that.”
And then he adds something worth carrying long after Christmas. “Your life isn’t over until it’s over. It might look bleak and cloudy, but you have to look through that to find the sun. Find joy, and find what makes you happy.”
So if you see Santa rolling down the sidewalk—cape of red fabric fluttering, flag waving proudly—don’t be surprised if traffic slows and people wave. He’s not just spreading holiday cheer. He’s reminding us that joy is still here, still possible, still worth seeking.
And sometimes, it arrives wearing a Santa suit and a smile big enough to brighten an entire block.
