It has been a busy six weeks for Oakbrook Center’s Santa Claus, but when your job involves delighting kids and their parents it doesn’t really feel like work.
Santa Claus first came to town Nov. 4 and plans to stay through Christmas Eve.
“I have to leave then because I have to deliver a lot of presents to children all over and get back to the North Pole when I’m finished,” Santa said recently.
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While the man known as Santa, Mr. Claus or Old St. Nick has many names, in the spirit of the season he preferred not to use his legal one.
Making lists and checking them twice can be tiring work, and after full days of visiting with children and their parents, Santa makes the nearby Hyatt House in Oak Brook his temporary home away from the North Pole.
“I love it here,” Santa said of his weeks-long stay at Oakbrook Center and the Hyatt House. “The people at Hyatt House treat me like family, and Oakbrook Center has been wonderful. The people are more than willing to join in the visits with their children, and that makes it even more special.”
Santa said he has been enjoying every moment of his visits with area children and parents. A Nov. 24 Santa Cares Day with special needs children was particularly memorable.
“It was an opportunity to make a difference in children’s lives and their parents,” he said of his visits with about 35 families that day.
Touching people’s lives in a positive manner is what Santa said he enjoys most about his visits at Oakbrook Center. He often makes special efforts to connect with young children, who sometimes are a bit hesitant about their encounters.
A little girl, probably about 2 1/2-years-old, didn’t seem to want to interact with him one day, instead sitting on the floor and coloring.
“I slid down on the floor and spent a few minutes coloring with her,” he said. “She gave me a big hug and then kissed me on the nose and cheek. The look in her eyes was just incredible, and that’s what it’s all about.”
Santa said the youngest tots sometimes are very clingy to their parents.
“My chair is big enough. They don’t have to sit in my lap,” he said. “I want them to be comfortable and do whatever I can to help them feel that way.”
Occasionally, Santa has a young visitor who challenges whether he really is Santa Claus.
“I just try to adjust to whatever level they are and tell them that they don’t have to believe in me, but I believe in them,” he said.
Santa’s visitors have had a very wide age demographic, he said.
“I’ve had them two days old, and I had a lady celebrate her 100th birthday on my lap,” he said.
Requests for presents vary greatly, but Hot Wheels, Barbie dolls and trains remain popular after many years. Items from the “Baby Shark” song and Elsa and Anna from the film “Frozen” also are mentioned in many requests from children.
Ultimately, Santa said he hopes the children who visit him leave with wonderful memories they’ll have for the rest of their lives.
“I’m a kid at heart,” he said. “This is my calling.”
Cary Concepcion of Oak Park brought her twins, Liliana and Maxwell, 4, to visit Santa Dec. 18 at Oakbrook Center, mostly because she wanted to get a photograph of them with the man in the red suit.
Liliana was a bit shy at first, but slowly warmed up, while her brother, Maxwell, was quick to voice his opinion about what the best thing was about Santa, shortly before he headed in for his visit.
“His presents,” Maxwell yelled out, while coloring with other children who were waiting their turns. Maxwell then elaborated about his personal choices for presents from Santa.
“I want a remote car and a robot,” he said.
A few minutes later, when Maxwell and Liliana were sitting and talking with Santa, Maxwell had a moment of concern when Santa asked him what he wanted for Christmas.
“I forgot, but you have my list, right Santa?” he asked, before being assured that Santa did indeed have his wish list.
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Isabel Uribe, 7, of Westchester, came to see Santa with her mother, Margarita, who was excited about her daughter’s enthusiasm over her first visit. And while she was very quiet before going in to see Santa, Isabel didn’t hesitate when asked why she was excited.
“I love Santa,” she said.