It’s that time of the year again. December. Near Christmas. The time of year that I love in my own private way. It’s time for me to do my beloved Santa Stops when I dress as Santa, fill a big crate with toys for kids, hop on my motorcycle and ride deep into the ‘hood to put toys directly into the hands of kids that really need them.
Santa Stops. I love them.

I was just written up in the Los Angeles Times about this, in fact. Check out the photo above of Sandy Banks and I in motion. Cool, eh?
I have always loved being Santa. To me, Santa is a spirit and energy, much like how I look at God or Jesus – I mean, how many people alive has actually SEEN them? Yeah, I thought you’d know the answer to that one. Same with Santa. I truly believe that one day, some portly man walked the earth with a big white beard and a red suit and brought toys to kids all over the world. Santa is a spirit of giving selflessly and with kindness. I love being Santa. My rallying cry when I put on my Santa suit and ride my motorcycle as Santa is a loud, bellowing “I AM SANTA!” that I roar loudly to anyone that may hear.
“I AM SANTA!” It all started after I moved out to Los Angeles seven years ago. I have always enjoyed buying kids toys at the local 99 Cents Only store to place them in bins during toy drives, anonymously giving joy to children I will never have met. But about five years ago, it occurred to me that I could don a Santa suit, bungee on a bin on the passenger seat of my bike, cover it with a big Santa bag, then just deliver the toys directly to the kids myself. So I did.
At first, I started to give them to any kids on the street, riding around the familiar streets of Hollywood. It was a good way to start but then the following year, I got wiser and thought it would be better to give them to kids that were out walking with their parents or other adults instead.
I also began to alter my route to go into areas of LA where kids don’t get the chance to experience the true meaning of Christmas. Neighborhoods like South Central LA and Compton.
People, especially white people, are terrified of going into neighborhoods that they’ve only heard about, to places that they’d never venture into, places that they hear are racked with violence. But that’s never stopped me because when I go there during the day in my Santa suit to bring toys to kids, the strength of my rallying cry “I AM SANTA!” makes me feel safe and happy and grateful at the same time, knowing I can make a difference in someone’s life for even a precious moment.
So with my toy-laden motorcycle, I surprise both the children and their parents by randomly coming upon them on my bike on the side of the street, pulling over and bellowing “Time for a Santa Stop!,” hopping off my bike, then gingerly reaching in and pulling out an appropriate gift for the surprised kid and equally surprised parent. The kids are often happily startled, not expecting to see Santa appear on a motorcycle, never mind handing them an unwrapped Christmas toy. I also get great joy handing them a new book, activity set, or my favorite from the pre-internet days, a timeless coloring book with a pack of crayons. I sometimes give the adult a present, too. A gift box with peppermint scented hand lotion, a pair of new, warm gloves, a new hat, or anything else that I think they would like.
But it’s all about the kids. I ride down anonymous streets, looking at sweet little houses in “the ‘hood” taking in the beauty of their proud Christmas decorations on their manicured lawns, the single Moms pushing their kids in their strollers, the Dads getting out of their cars, carefully cradling their children in their arms, the homeless people in their tents on the side of the street. I see them all as Santa to seek out those kids who deserve their presents and the parents who deserve the spirit of the holiday.
I AM SANTA!  I love it.
Merry Christmas!