Secret Santa spreads joy, disbelief in Kansas City

[DaKCMan AP]

Secret Santa spreads joy, disbelief in Kansas City

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Secret Santa II hit the streets Tuesday in a long-standing Kansas City tradition of handing out $100 bills — sometimes several at a time — to unsuspecting strangers in thrift stores, food pantries and shelters.

Some people gasped in surprise. Some wanted to know if the $100 bill the tall man in the red cap offered was fake. Others wept.

Secret Santa II has seen a lot of reactions since taking over where his mentor, Kansas City's original Secret Santa, Larry Stewart, left off when he died in 2007 at age 58. Like Stewart, who gave away more than $1 million to strangers each December in mostly $100 bills, this Secret Santa prefers to stay anonymous.

A fake white beard taped to his face, Secret Santa II handed out about $10,000 in total Tuesday. Recipients included a police officer with terminal cancer, a homeless man pushing a rickety old shopping cart, an 81-year-old woman who had recently told her 27 grandchildren she wouldn't be able to afford any Christmas gifts, and Bernadette Turner, a 32-year-old unemployed mother of two.

"It's hard to come by," Turner said looking in disbelief at the $200 Secret Santa had given her.

Then one of Santa's "elves" — another tall man in a red cap — sidled up to next to Turner, asked a few questions, and handed her an additional $100. Turner, whose children are 3 and 8, was overcome.

"I can only afford one gift for each child. But now ...." she said, wiping tears from her cheeks and reaching out for a hug.

"Do you believe in Santa Claus?" Capt. Ray Wynn of the Kansas City, Mo., Fire Department, asked from a few feet away. Wynn had followed Stewart on many "sleigh rides" around the country and now follows this Secret Santa, providing stories, memories and amusing sound effects.

"I do now," Turner said. "I do now."

Secret Santa II took over from Stewart about the time the recession hit and the economy went into a tailspin. Like Stewart, this Secret Santa doesn't talk about his own finances, where those $100 bills come from and if — like for so many people now — they've been harder to come by.

Come December, he just fills his pockets with money, dons his red cap and heads out looking for people to make really happy.

He will likely hand out about $40,000 this December. He says he'll go "till the money runs out."

"The recession, unemployment. This is the time you don't want to stop. You don't want to back off," he said.

He walked up to Peggy Potter, 59, of Kansas City, Kan., who was looking at some framed prints at a thrift store. He made some small talk, put his arm around her and within minutes she was crying. Her son died about a year and a half ago. Her husband died in July and her daughter died soon after that.
"I'm just ... today's been a rough day for me, just thinking about my loved ones," she said. "I've been having a hard time paying for all the funerals."

Santa gave her $200, listened more, hugged her, and told her the poster she was holding had special meaning. It was a photo of two hands, one large, one small. Words printed at the bottom could have been written by Secret Santa, the original or the current one.

It said: "Kindness in giving creates love."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101215/...VjcmV0c2FudGFz

[tyton75]

Awesome.. love that this has become somewhat of a tradition in Kansas City

[CoMoChief]

I'm really good friends with the Stewarts, their youngest is one of my best friends. I grew up with a lot of them and their cousins, and I never knew he was the Secret Santa until I found out he had really bad cancer and no longer could do it.

I miss Larry, he was a great great person. Very generous guy.

[Donger]

These people need to make sure that they report these $100 bills as income.

[Lzen]

Great story.

[pr_capone]

Damn allergies.

[Bob Dole]

Reminds Bob Dole he needs to grab some drive-thru some time this week and pay for the car behind. It ain't $100, but it's something.

[InChiefsHeaven]

Originally Posted by Bob Dole

Reminds Bob Dole he needs to grab some drive-thru some time this week and pay for the car behind. It ain't $100, but it's something.

It might be if it's a bus full of football players behind you...hehehe...

...that's actually a very cool idea...

[Demonpenz]

Originally Posted by Bob Dole

Reminds Bob Dole he needs to grab some drive-thru some time this week and pay for the car behind. It ain't $100, but it's something.

I had someone do that for me at chick-fil-a I remembered it well.

[RedNFeisty]

It is wonderful and heart warming to know there are people out there who really care for others.

Great story, thank you for sharing!

[Fish]

Hopefully he doesn't get mugged....

[El Jefe]

He walked up to Peggy Potter, 59, of Kansas City, Kan., who was looking at some framed prints at a thrift store. He made some small talk, put his arm around her and within minutes she was crying. Her son died about a year and a half ago. Her husband died in July and her daughter died soon after that.
"I'm just ... today's been a rough day for me, just thinking about my loved ones," she said. "I've been having a hard time paying for all the funerals."

That is absolutely awful, man I feel terrible for that lady, no one should have to go through that. That secret santa made more impact on her than he will ever realize.

[mikey23545]

Originally Posted by pr_capone

Damn allergies.

Yep, mine always seem to get far worse whenever I read stories like this as well...

[JD10367]

I've always said to my wife that, if I ever hit Powerball, I would do something like this. If you're rich enough, really, there's no reason not to. To most of us, it's like leaving a tip in the can at a fast-food place. If you have millions, you won't miss a few thou at this time of year and the money you hand out is like a godsend to those with much less than you.

[ROYC75]

Nice story.