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Santa delivers 56 years of joy

For members of the Kiwanis Club of Portage Lakes, Akron, Ohio, Christmas starts in August.

Volunteers crowd into a sleigh to prepare for the Santa delivery, a tradition of more than 50 years for the Kiwanis Club of Portage Lakes, Akron, Ohio.

The club has collected nearly 20 antique sleighs over the years for the Santa project, mounting them on wheels to be pulled by SUVs for the Christmas Eve delivery.

That’s when members begin inspecting and repairing nearly 20 antique sleighs, which haul Santa and his sacks of presents all over town. That’s also when the club orders thousands of toys to fill the sacks.

In September, they book 20 police cars and officers to escort Santa on his December ride.

In October, they sell anywhere from 7,000 to 30,000 dozen roses to fund what has become a massive holiday project.

In November, they order new Santa beards, wigs, and suits and make sure the sound systems are in order.

In December, they sort the gifts for various delivery routes. Also in December, 15 Santas climb into 15 wheel-equipped, toy-laden sleighs and set off to deliver presents to good little girls and boys.

“It is extremely well known in the community,” says club member and head elf Scott Shookman. “We have fourth- or fifth generation children coming out to the sleighs to get a gift from Santa.”

The magic happens, of course, on Christmas Eve.

“We start at about 8 a.m. loading cars and trucks with gifts, dry running the routes to find the house addresses that will be impossible to see in the dark, and mounting safety lights and sound systems on the SUVs that pull the antique sleighs,” Scott says. “This continues until 4:30 p.m., when our club serves dinner to all the volunteers. At the stroke of 5 p.m. sharp, 15 Santas, sleighs, and nearly 300 volunteers take off to spread joy to the world!”

Hardly a silent night, as the police-escorted sleighs move throughout the community, a loudspeaker announces Santa’s arrival and calls out the names of children. Residents excitedly come running to the sleighs to collect their gift, which is either a special one dropped off earlier by the child’s parent or purchased en masse by the club.

“We deliver about 3,000 gifts that night,” Scott says. But not all of them are necessarily for children.

“In the past 25 years,” Scott says, “I’ve delivered lots of live puppies, engagement rings, a new car, more toys than you can count, and a few very excited soldiers who were happy to be home from the war and wild about being delivered to wives and parents who didn’t have any idea their loved one would be home for Christmas.”

Santa would be proud.