The Joy of Being Santa Claus

When Don Storbakken retired in 1999 as an inspector for the North Dakota State Seed Department, he decided to let his hair and beard grow—whereupon a remarkable transformation occurred. Storbakken became a dead-ringer for Santa Claus.

He already had a cherry-like nose, a ruddy complexion, a moderate paunch, wore bifocals perched on the tip of his nose, and had the personality of a jolly old elf when it came to children, so long white hair was all it took.

Now he says the only thing better than the joy he spreads by playing Santa Claus is the joy he receives from smiling children.

“It’s like their smiles open up their whole insides,” says Storbakken, 60, of Thompson, N.D. (pop. 971) “It’s like a sunbeam.”

And the joy Storbakken brings extends beyond Christmas; it happens year-round, in or out of costume. Children are delighted when they spot Storbakken on the street. They poke at their parents, point, whisper, and then shyly wave. And, of course, smile. He’s regularly greeted, by young and old alike, with “Hi, Santa,” or he’ll hear comments like, “You’re a little early aren’t you, Santa?”

Being a jolly fellow, Storbakken plays along, sometimes responding that he’s checking his list to see if they’ve been naughty or nice. “It spreads some joy,” he says.

But the requirements to play Santa Claus go beyond appearance.

“His character is perfect,” says Mark Erickson, marketing director for Columbia Mall in nearby Grand Forks where Storbakken now works as a Santa during the holiday season. “He’s cheerful, warm, friendly, always smiling. One of the moms even talked about how he had the sparkle in his eye.”

Erickson adds: “You have to have someone who loves to visit with kids, who really listens to them.”

Storbakken has a lot of experience in that department. In addition to the five children he and his wife, Arlene, raised, scores of youngsters have come through Arlene’s in-home day care service over the last 21 years.

Pre-schoolers, taken by his bubbly demeanor, often favor Storbakken over toys as a preferred plaything. It’s not uncommon for kids to climb on his lap and use his frame like playground equipment.

“Don’s a natural draw,” Arlene says. “When he plays with them, he gets right down to their level, physically and otherwise.”

Storbakken’s soft spot for children often leads him beyond the call of duty. On Christmas Eve 1999, for example, he suited up and put his own holiday activities temporarily on hold to distribute gifts to the five grandchildren of a friend, Joyce McMenamy.

“We’ve tried to get Santas before, but they’re usually unavailable on Christmas Eve,” McMenamy says. “You can’t expect them to give up their own Christmas Eve.”

“But Don volunteered out of the goodness of his heart,” she adds. “The kids were just delighted.”

“Of all the things I’ve done in my life, this is the most satisfying,” Storbakken says. “You look at the kids’ faces, and you know how they feel.”

Ryan Bakken is a newspaper columnist and freelance writer who lives in Thompson, N.D.

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