We live in pretty cynical times, and most of us have to look twice or three times at someone who seems to be about doing good and for whom we can't seem to locate something material in it for him. Even so, it's pretty hard to be cynical about Incline's Santa Claus. You may know Santa - if you attend St. Patrick's or the Foursquare Church, or if you come to the Bonanza Tuesday morning meetings where he's a regular you've probably at least seen him and may have met him. If you don't know him, you may think he's some sort of character or eccentric, or you may figure here's a guy who's turned his appearance into a money-maker. And what about his changing his name to Santa Claus? Pretty odd, huh?

I've had the privilege of knowing Santa under one name or the other for most of my time in Incline and I'm writing this column because I think it's important that people know he's the real deal and know what he's doing. By way of full disclosure, I'm on the board of Santa's foundation, about which more later. Santa has been an actor, an executive and a disaster worker. He is also a monk in the Order of St. Nicholas (of course), a community activist, and a candidate for the fire board. Already ordained in one denomination, he is in the process of becoming an Episcopal priest. Most importantly, he is an advocate for children. He has traveled to 49 states on Santa's Bless the Children Tour (he is in Alaska, his 50th state, this week) visiting federal and state legislators and their staffs in every state, advocating for children throughout the United States and visiting as many children in dire circumstances as he can along the way. He does this as a volunteer, supported by private donations and otherwise at his own expense as an expression of his commitment to children's welfare. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there are more than 74 million children under the age of 18 in the United States. Of that figure, about 2 million are abused, neglected or exploited; and another 1 million are abandoned, homeless or institutionalized. The numbers increase every year. Right now, that is 1 out of every 37 children in the United States. Santa Claus is an advocate for these children, especially those who are wards of the states.

Now Santa is starting a non-profit foundation to extend his work and to provide a vehicle for broader public support. Santa is a modest man, as you would expect, and while his vision is a big one - to eliminate child abuse and neglect and for every child to have a true home with loving parents - he sets his sights modestly. When I asked him how much he needs to raise to launch the Santa Claus Foundation (www.thesantaclausfoundation.org ) he replied that he'd like about $1000 to underwrite the organizing expenses. When I asked what he would want if he could write his own ticket, he smiled and shyly replied, "$4000." Modest indeed.

Much of my non-work life is devoted to creating, along with Father Jim Beebe, Santa Claus and others, an interfaith ministry that will break down the divisions between Christians and Jews, and ultimately we hope between those of all faiths and those of no faith (and I suppose also the proverbial "ye of little faith," too). In my view efforts like Santa's will do more to erase these divisions than anything else I can think of. I recently shared an airport shuttle with a South Asian family that didn't seem to speak much English. As is my wont, I spent the ride making eye contact and smiling at their baby daughter who, in the way of small children, responded enthusiastically to me, and the parents, while not understanding what I was saying, beamed at what I was doing - that's how it is - caring about children crosses all boundaries.

As a board member of The Santa Claus Foundation I'm not obliged to share Santa's modesty - I would like to see the foundation funded by much more than a few thousand dollars so that this kind, good man can continue his work unimpeded by his personal vow of poverty. His tour was funded by folks here in Incline both individually and through the churches. Why not step up and help fund the foundation as well? Think about it - isn't it time we gave something to Santa Claus for a change?

Ed Gurowitz is an Incline Village psychologist and management consultant.

The man of the season - complete with white beard and twinkling eyes - is the subject of Thursday night's Fireside Chat, which promises to be full of ho-ho-ho laughter, as well as serious subjects such as the exploitation of children.

Fireside Chats is a series of interviews with interesting people by Incline Village resident Andrew Whyman, and hosted by the Seniors Conversation Cafe and Sierra Nevada College. It will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Tahoe Center for Environmental Sciences on the college campus. Before the interview, the man who calls himself Santa Claus answered some questions.

When and why did you change your name to Santa?

I began growing out my beard in March 2004 and was pleasantly surprised by how it made me look. So many folks remarked that I should play Santa that winter that I appeared as Santa for several nonprofit organizations. I am a priest and a monk, as St. Nicholas was many centuries ago, and I liked the distant association with St. Nicholas and the reception by children and adults alike. After Christmas 2004, I thought I might change my name and serve as many children as I could as Santa.

One day, as I walked down Northwood Boulevard in Incline, I prayed about whether or not to change my name. About a minute after I asked for a sign from God, a nondescript white sedan came up Northwood from Tahoe Boulevard. It was a beautiful day; and the vehicle's windows were open. As the vehicle passed by me, a young man's voice from inside shouted, "Santa, I love you!" The car continued on its way. I was moved. The following day, I filed papers with the court to change my name to Santa Claus. I have been Santa ever since the court ordered my name changed to Santa Claus in March 2005. I share St. Nicholas' love of children and the spirit of love and giving.

What do you hope to accomplish as Santa?

My first official duties as Santa Claus came September through November 2005, as an on-call disaster generalist for the Federal Emergency Management Agency in Dallas, Texas, helping to comfort thousands of children evacuated from hurricanes Katrina and Rita. After that, I spent quite some time thinking of and praying about how I could have the most positive influence on the greatest number of children, using my appearance and new name. In May 2006, as a volunteer, I began Santa's Bless the Children Tour with the encouragement and support of the New Life Foursquare Church, St. Patrick's Episcopal Church and many individuals in Incline Village. I visited state and federal legislative staffs in all 50 states, discussing health, safety, and welfare issues that affect the 2 million children annually in the United States who are abused, neglected, exploited, homeless, and abandoned, particularly the 400,000 wards of the states. In August 2007, the tour was complete. I know that, collectively, several children's advocates, including me, managed to draw attention to and garner support for legislation, such as the Adam Walsh Act, which improves the health, safety, and welfare of all children, especially the 2 million vulnerable children in the United States who are in dire circumstances through no fault of their own.

What types of reactions do you receive when you tell people your name is Santa?

For the most part, in Incline many folks already know about my name change and they like what I'm doing to help children. Even the U.S. Transportation Security Administration has come onboard. I have so many government-issued ID's, including ones from Homeland Security, that most folks who've never met me before recognize me as Santa Claus now. Most people I meet realize I'm using my appearance and name as tools to accomplish my work with and for children and seem to identify with my dislike of the crass, commercial, secular spectacle Christmas has become. I remind folks that the greatest gift they can give, especially to children, is love, not presents, and that Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Christ (no matter what one's religious beliefs may or may not be).

Do you get many requests to appear at places during the holiday season? Any letters sent to you?

I do get many requests to appear as Santa through the winter. I appeared at 19 nonprofit organizations and government agencies serving and protecting children in 2006 throughout the North Shore and Reno, and expect to limit the number of appearances this winter to a handful, in order to devote a maximum amount of time to The Santa Claus Foundation. I know, for certain, that I'll be at IVGID's Christmas Tree Lighting at the Recreation Center Dec. 4, Kids Kottage in Reno, and Truckee's Santa Fly-In. Early on, I decided to omit contact information on my Santa cards. Therefore, letters and calls I receive come primarily from folks who visit my own Web site (www.SantasLink.net) or The Santa Claus Foundation's Web site. I'm fortunate to have many Santa's helpers who assist me with the important task of responding to children's requests and comments.

When you were a child, did you believe in Santa Claus?

When I was a child, I believed in Santa Claus. Santa's spirit of love and giving lasts forever. Folks who embrace that spirit seem to accept me as Santa Claus and recognize the value of and encourage and support children's advocacy in whatever form it takes. For people who don't believe in Santa Claus, the subject of Santa still can be used to open a discussion of religion and/or the plight of vulnerable children who are in dire circumstances and/or the importance of love. After all, Santa Claus is based upon St. Nicholas who did, in fact, exist, and who exemplified the spirit of love and giving.

Santa Claus, the red-clad, bushy-bearded activist for children's rights, has been making headlines across the nation, except in Alaska.

Claus, an Incline Village resident who legally changed his name, recently returned to the public eye with a video question submitted to a primary debate via video sharing Web site YouTube.com. The video was posted by Mark Ream, a documentary filmmaker covering Claus' campaign to aid abused and neglected children.

"My legal name is Santa Claus, I live at Lake Tahoe and I have a question for the presidential candidates," said Claus in the video. "I would like to know what your policies and initiatives are going to be regarding the 2 million children right now, here in the United States, who are abused, neglected, exploited, abandoned, homeless or institutionalized, particularly the 400,000 wards of the states."

The video, which has an average rating of four out of five stars and has been viewed well over 7,437 times on YouTube alone, has been picked up by MTVNews.com, PrezVid.com, TribeHollywood.com, and NPR.com. While some news sources' responses were more tongue-in-cheek than others, comments about the video on YouTube were unanimously positive.

"I hope your question makes it. You should run for office. Who wouldn't vote for Santa Claus?" posted one user named Oceanoffallenstars, who also listed the video as a favorite.

"Awesome, Santa! You are a blessing and a gift," wrote another user named WinWinGwen.

However, not everyone has taken so kindly to Santa Claus.

As Claus finished his 50-state tour advocating for children's rights with a trip to Alaska, he found, for once, that media coverage did not come so easily.

According to Claus, the Alaskan press refused to cover his meetings with local politicians, as they did not want to report that Santa Claus lived south of Alaska.

Back in Incline Village, there remains no word as to whether the Alaskan media will make be marked as naughty or nice.

What a long, strange trip it's been.

Incline Village's very own Santa Claus is finishing his 50-state tour of state capitols with an upcoming trip to Juneau, Alaska. The Bless the Children Tour, begun over a year ago with a trip to Carson City, has advocated for legislation on children's issues, particularly relating to foster children, child abuse and child obesity.

For those of you who haven't met the bushy-bearded man in red, Santa Claus legally changed his name from Thomas O'Connor in 2005.

"I figured that, as an individual, if I changed my name to Santa Claus, that can be used as a tool to benefit children," said Claus. "The name 'Santa' is a bully pulpit."

Claus began his Bless the Children Tour in May of 2006, sponsored by St. Patrick's Episcopal Church and the New Life Foursquare Church, both based in Incline Village. Through the course of his trip, Claus has met with governors, senators and other legislators, as well as local children's rights advocacy groups.

Claus' commitment to improving the situation of foster children and wards of the state has a personal root.

"My good friend was a foster child, now in his 60s," said Claus. "The stories he used to tell of his life as a foster child haven't changed much."

Though unable to cite any specific legislation he has personally influenced, Claus remains optimistic that his tour has affected real change.

"I've supported a lot of legislation, some of which is out there," said Claus. "I'm also a cross reference for a lot of different states along the tour."

While the results may be positive, Claus' reception was not always so encouraging. According to Claus, governors and lawmakers were often unable to schedule meetings with him and some, including former Arkansas governor and current GOP presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee, openly refused an appointment.

Many government officials were far more welcoming. Claus' website boasts copies of several commendations and awards from governors, and Claus fondly remembers his meetings with Michigan governor Jennifer Granholm and former Nevada governor Kenny Guinn.

Governor Guinn also remembered their meeting positively, though they did not discuss children's rights at length.

"He was very polite and enthusiastic about what he was doing," said Governor Guinn in a telephone interview. "He was pretty much promoting good functions for kids."

Though Claus' tour is coming to an end, he remains committed to pursuing his goals in children's rights and obesity. Claus plans to establish the Santa Claus Foundation, the goal of which would be "To formulate and publicize model state legislation to improve the conditions of the two million children abused, neglected, exploited, abandoned, homeless, or institutionalized."

Additionally, Claus is the author of The Santa Claus Diet, a self-help book offering "a complete diet for physical, emotional and spiritual health" now available from Café Press, according to the book's website. Claus describes the book as something that can be picked up from time to time, full of simple tips and information.

"It's not meant to be a revelation," said Claus. "These are things people should innately know. It's more of a reminder."

The trip to Alaska, which has suffered long delays due to a lack of funds, is not decisively scheduled, but is due to take place in the upcoming month. According to Claus, hoped-for funds never came through, but he had accumulated enough rewards program points from his many stays at hotels during the tour to afford the journey to Alaska.

Looking back on the tour, Claus was encouraged by the progress of his cause.

"The good thing I found out is that there are thousands of people working on behalf of children behind the scenes, and often we'll never see their work," said Claus. "I'm sure that my influence, along with everyone else, has contributed."

By Tom Meyer
BONANZA STAFF WRITER
BonanzaPhoto by Emma Garrard
SEPTEMBER 29, 2006: THE NORTH LAKE TAHOE BONANZA

Unless he or she has been particularly naughty, everyone can expect an annual visit from Santa Claus - including governors and U.S. senators, as Incline Village's very own St. Nick resumed his "Bless the Children" tour Thursday. Santa Claus planned to pick-up where he left-off in August.

"I'll resume (the tour) in Florida ... and am planning to visit legislative staffs in Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah during the next two weeks, returning to Lake Tahoe to fly to Hawaii and Alaska to briefly visit legislators there," Claus said.

Claus began his adventure in May, planning to visit every governor's and senator's office in the nation to advocate for legislation affecting children's health, safety, and welfare and to call attention to the risks posed by childhood obesity. He had just passed the half-way point of his trip - visiting Florida, his 25th state - before his trademark Ford Bronco "Santamobile" broke down at the end of July. Claus' new vehicle, a 2001 Volvo Wagon Turbo, was donated by an anonymous couple to support the tour.

"It's Tahoe Blue rather than Santa Red," he said.

Claus' reception varied greatly, he said, ranging from warm welcome and awards, to cold shoulders, to abject puzzlement about what to do with a white-bearded man with the documentation to prove that his legal name is "Santa Claus."

Staffers for Sen. James Talent (R-MO) and Sen. Pat Roberts (R-KS) referred him to their D.C. counterparts, and both Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and Sen. Barbara Boxer's (D-CA) offices refused to meet with him at all.

However, Claus received a Certificate of Tribute from Gov. Jennifer Graham of Michigan, and the Bless the Children Tour received a Certificate of Appreciation from Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen.

Claus is flying to Florida to pick-up a new Santamobile, and plans to take a zig-zag, 4,300 mile drive across the southern United States before returning to Incline in mid-October.

He plans to finish the tour and visit the remaining states on his list next spring.

Claus will be updating the his blog and photo journal on his Web site, http://santaslink.net as the trip progresses.

Staff writer Tom Meyer can be reached at 831-4666 ext. 112 or at tmeyer@tahoebonanza.com.

A little over two months after leaving home, Incline Village resident and pseudo-celebrity Santa Claus marked the half-way point of his Bless the Children Tour when he arrived in Tallahassee, Fla. on Thursday. Claus left in May on 15,000-mile, five month mission to visit state and federal legislators to discuss pending legislation affecting children's health, safety, and welfare and to emphasize the severity of the epidemic of childhood obesity.

However, after 8,000 miles of travel, his trademark red and white Ford Bronco - the "SantaMobile" - finally gave-out on him in the swampy, panhandle city and had to be decommissioned. Claus is planning to rent a car and return to Incline by a southern route before finishing the tour later this year.

Claus has been documenting his travels on his Web site, http://santaslink.net, where he describes his meetings with elected officials and their staffs, and lists their efforts to help children. So far, Claus has visited - or attempted to visit - every governor and most U.S. senators in Nevada, California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, South Dakota, North Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia and Florida.

"In general, I've been pleased with what I've seen (at the state-level)," Claus said.

Specifically, he cited efforts to provide more nutritious meals to school children and wards of the state. Nutrition is an important issue to Claus, who said he has lost 20 pounds on the trip to set a good example for children struggling with obesity. The federal government, however, did not receive high marks from Claus, whom he accused of dragging its feet.

Though he has generally been well-received during his travels, Claus has gotten his fair share of cold shoulders, too. Staff at the home offices of Sen. James Talent (R-MO) and Sen. Pat Roberts (R-KS) referred him to their D.C. counterparts, and both Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and Sen. Barbara Boxer's (D-CA) staffs would not meet with Claus. He said he was particularly disappointed by Huckabee, whose child-related programs he esteems, and whom Nevada Gov. Kenny Guinn specifically recommended to Claus.

On a more positive note, Claus received a Certificate of Tribute from Gov. Jennifer Graham of Michigan, and the Bless the Children Tour received a Certificate of Appreciation from Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen.

"(The certificates) came as a complete surprise ... (they were) totally out of the blue," Claus said.

Claus made local news earlier this month when he spoke against "the crass, commercial, secular spectacle that Christmas has become" at the Amalgamated Order of Real Bearded Santa convention in Branson, Mo.

Claus, a monk and ordained priest with the United Catholic Church - which seeks to mend political divisions between all Christian denominations - said he strongly believes that the holiday is losing its intended spirit and religious origin.

Staff writer Tom Meyer can be reached at 831-4666 ext. 112 or at tmeyer@tahoebonanza.com.

On his 59th birthday, Incline Village's own Santa Claus will embark on what he calls the journey of a lifetime.

Next month, Santa Claus will leave Incline Village on a 15,000 mile trip around the country. His goal: To stop at every state capital and talk to legislators about new bills to help neglected and abused children.

"The most effective way to advocate for the greatest number of children is to meet and talk with the very legislators who make the laws affecting them," said Santa Claus, who noted that his work as a disaster relief assistant in Dallas, Texas opened his eyes to how little law makers recognize the health, safety and welfare of children in America.

"I'm going to talk to as many people as I can," he said. "Some folks might not want to listen to me, but I think senators especially have a lot to gain from meeting with me during an election year."

Dave Mussatti, a long-time friend of Incline's Santa, said a lot of people don't realize how many abused and neglected children there are in the United States.

"This is a terrific thing he is doing," Mussatti said. "He is a very dedicated person and it's wonderful that we have someone in our community who is willing to spend his time and effort to do something like this."

A report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children estimates that more than 1,500 American children die each year of abuse or neglect - an average of three per day.

Claus said in addition to stopping at all the state capitals, he is going to visit numerous pediatric oncology wards across the country and talk to as many children as he can.

"Some of the children in these hospitals might not make it to Christmas," he said of his estimated five-month journey. "So I'm going to do my best to lift their spirits and cheer them up."

Claus will make the 15,000 mile trip in his tired red and white Ford Bronco which gets about 8-miles to the gallon and is often seen cruising around the Incline.

"I would rather he didn't go in that thing," said Santa's long-time friend Al Rosenstengel, chief mechanic for the North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District.

Rosenstengel is doing his best to get Santa's rig ready for the road.

"I'll make sure it's safe and I'm going to try and slow the fuel consumption, but it's an old vehicle and needs a lot of TLC," Rosenstengel said. "But, if he does break down all he has to do is call and I'll go get him."

Because the trip will cost an estimated $50,000, Santa said he is collecting donations, soliciting for corporate sponsors (what he calls "tour angels") and tapping some savings accounts.

"I'm trying to get a hotel chain to sponsor the trip so I have places to stay along the way," he said. "I've been working with MapQuest and Nextel, but no one has committed yet."

Several local churches are collecting donations and the Lake Tahoe Wellness Center has been preparing Santa mentally and physically for the trip, he said.

Santa said he only plans to drive during the day and along the way he'll be stopping to stretch a lot.

Santa will embark on his journey on May 15, heading first to Carson City then north to Bend, Oregon. He will then zig-zag north to south and back again across the northern and central portions of the country, then down the east coast and back home along a southern route.

"It's going to be a hard, but very rewarding trip," Santa said. "I've gotten a lot of help from a lot of people and I'm excited to see how it goes."

For more information on Santa's Bless the Children tour visit santaslink.net.

Christmas may be three months away but for kids in Dallas, Texas Santa showed up early.

Santa Claus, an Incline resident and active member of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, arrived at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Disaster Recovery Renter in Dallas Sept. 30. He will spend a month working as a paid disaster assistance employee meeting and comforting victims of hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

"Things are going really well down here," Claus said by phone Wednesday afternoon as he ended his 11-hour shift at the recovery center. "People seem to be doing OK, our center has resources to help with everything from housing to social security."

The FEMA Disaster Recovery Center in Dallas houses more than 30 federal and state agencies that all provide services to people affected by the hurricanes, Claus said.

Incline's Claus is one of more than 150 U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary members who have completed training to interface with hurricane victims and help them begin to rebuild their lives.

Claus, who is not donning his festive suit as he works as a FEMA employee, said he has met a lot of families and kids who have lost everything.

"I heard someone say at dinner last night that they overheard a child say 'I know we're not going to die because Santa is here'," he said. "I'm just doing my job and hopefully I'm able to comfort a few children in the process."

Incline's Claus has a history of helping people.

In his younger years he worked as the Public Information Officer for the FEMA National Defense Executive Reserve in New York. He is also a member of the Incline Village Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) and the Citizens Homeland Security Council of Washoe County.

"Santa volunteered and FEMA called him right away," said U.S. Coast Guard Chief of External Communications, Wayne Spivak. "He will be doing everything except direct law enforcement and military operations. A lot of our auxiliary are involved in logistical overflights (moving and delivering medical supplies, food and water) and aiding victims."

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus, and he lives at Lake Tahoe.

An Incline Village resident, who says he's always carried the spirit of the jolly Christmas character, legally changed his name to Santa Claus.

"It's a new name, not a new identity," Claus said. "I've always had that spirit and once I started growing the beard it seemed like a blessing and a very good fit for me."

According to court records, Claus, formerly known as Thomas O'Connor, petitioned for and was granted a name change in February by Washoe County.

At 14 months of beard growth, Claus, dressed in blue jeans, red suspenders and a red button-up flannel shirt, sat at Burnt Cedar Beach in Incline Village and talked about his life as Santa.

"Of course it's a fictional character, but as far as I'm concerned, 'tis I," he said.

And to five children who walked up to him in one hour at the beach Friday, he is real.

"You remember at Christmas you gave me that big bike? It's a little big," said a girl, accompanied by her father, who approached Claus.

Claus is no stranger to children approaching him with requests and questions, and has the answers to almost any inquiry.

"If you grow one or two inches taller it should be a good fit," he told the girl.

Later, Claus found a thank-you note from the same girl on his car - a red and white 4x4 Ford Bronco.

If Claus seems to always be in character, that's because he is, he said.

Although he saves his suit - adorned in fake fur "for I think what would be obvious reasons," he said - for special occasions, Claus does have an outfit he wears most days out on the town.

"I usually wear a shirt like this - a red one," Claus said, tugging gently on the flannel button-up he wore to the beach, "which is in keeping with the bishops' robes that St. Nicholas used to wear."

Claus' round stomach and wire-rimmed glasses complete the look, but Claus said children and adults know he's Santa Claus no matter what he's wearing.

"Even if I'm not wearing the hat ... kids will still come over," he said.

Claus claims it's his full white beard. Before changing his name to Santa Claus, the Incline resident started to grow a beard. After five months of beard growth, friends and community members started telling him he should play Santa.

Now, a couple months after the name change, Claus said most people are supportive of his decision, but some people aren't so quick to believe that "Santa Claus" is actually his name.

Recently at the Reno-Tahoe International Airport, Claus was passing through security when an airline worker suspicious of the name on the ticket had him show identification.

"They were just being cautious, so I gave them my passport, Social Security card, and state driver's license," he said.

Claus - who received a Bachelor of Fine Arts and a Master of Arts from New York University - has lived all over the United States, but has decided to call Incline Village home.

"Why would Santa stay in the North Pole?" he asked, gesturing toward the lake. "Lake Tahoe is so beautiful. I've been coming here for 20 years."

Starting this summer, Santa hopes to shed his "bowl full of jelly" with the Santa Diet - a diet Claus created as a way to address obesity. He hopes to lose 50 pounds in 77 days.

Will the weight loss hurt his image?

"The image of Santa has changed a couple of times," Claus said. "Most people probably don't know that St. Nicholas, upon which Santa is based, was a thin guy."