Children can’t be fooled. If the heart isn’t filled with holiday cheer, goodwill and true love for a child, then Mall Santa ain’t your gig.
“Even the best actor can’t keep a smile on their face for 10 hours a day, seven days a week,” says Ben Brauch, a retired high school counselor and teacher whose signature white hair and long beard highlight his new career as Santa Claus. “Kids know what a good Santa is and isn’t. A good one loves kids and gives every one individual attention.”
Brauch, 67, has worked for the Colorado Springs-based Naturally Santa Inc. for six years. The company places Santas for holiday photo shoots in malls across the country. Brauch and his wife spend the winter at shopping centers in Fresno, Calif.
But “Santa Ben” relishes his job year-round. He keeps his beard long and his wife bleaches and curls his hair, not caring that it makes him look much older. Brauch greets children in restaurants and hands out “Santa Loves You” cards long before the holiday season kicks in.
What is involved in becoming a Santa?
It costs about $3,500 to get started in the (Naturally Santa) group. We have to purchase our own professional “workshop” suits, and we pay for training. Training is three days in the fall and consists of role playing, talking to experienced Santa Clauses and learning how to work with a camera. Instructors also teach us how to handle difficult situations. I see maybe 12,000 kids in a six-week period. It’s rigorous, but it’s worth it because you get to play with kids.
When does the job become tough?
It’s hard when kids say, “All I want for Christmas is for my mother or father to come home safe from the war.” Or when they ask for their (deceased) grandmother to be brought back to life. Some of these children are so extremely ill or handicapped that they may not even make it to Christmas. All I can do is tell them that I really can’t help with that, but I’ll help pray for them.
Have there been times when you didn’t feel so powerless?
A little girl who was about 7 came up to me once and said she wanted her mom to be happy. She said her mom hadn’t been happy for a long time. After the pictures were taken, I took a little time out and called the mom back. I told her she was going to have to try harder to show her little girl she was happy because the child was concerned. The mother thanked me and promised she would work on it. I think it’s really great for the kids to know Santa Claus is going to support them and becomes something real for them.
A lot of kids are more naughty than nice. How do you handle the precocious?
Sometimes I’ll do a coin trick if some kids are giving me a hard time. I make a coin disappear and ask them where it went. Usually when they see that, they are won over.
What has been one of your funniest moments?
It was the first year I was a Santa, at the Southglenn Mall before I joined Naturally Santa. An 8-year-old boy came up and said, “Santa, I want tons of CDs.” I said, “Oh, yeah, well who do you like?” He got a little sheepish grin and said, “Well, there’s this girl Chelsea.” He thought I was talking about his girl friend. His dad started cracking up. Even the photographer was laughing. When we got done, the photographer gave him an extra photo to give to Chelsea.”
Staff writer Sheba R. Wheeler can be reached at 303-954-1283 or swheeler@denverpost.com.
