Santa Claus gets little rest this time of year as many preparations need to be made before he hitches up the reindeers and makes his annual 75.5 million mile journey delivering toys to children all over the planet.
Santa actually goes by many names. Some call him Santa, others call him Saint Nick or Kris Kringle; but here locally, he goes by the name David Quebedeaux when he is not donning his favorite suit.
“Make no mistake, when I am dressed in my red suit, I am Santa and I am responsible for spreading the love, hope and goodwill that is the magic of the Christmas season,” Quebedeaux says. “Everything I do the rest of the year is preparing for the upcoming Christmas.”
An Eagle Scout who achieved that distinction in 1983, Quebedeaux has led a life of public service including 40 years of being a Boy Scouts of America troop leader and working as a park ranger for the US Army Corps of Engineers.
His wife, Jenny Quebedeaux-Claus, works as a medical professional and has extensive experience working with special needs children. Together, they have brought cheer as Santa and Mrs. Claus since 2019.
Quebedeaux says he got into the role quite by accident. He was at a funeral when a friend, who is also a professional Santa, noticed how long his beard was getting and suggested that he would make for a great Santa.
However, the mall Santa concept was not what David and Jenny Quebedeaux had in mind.
“No, things have changed since we were kids, and the mall Santa became more of a gimmick. We do smaller, more community related events. We go to the elementary schools, church related functions and private events,” Quebedeaux said.
Jenny’s work with special needs children led the couple to work with Holy Comforter Church in Evans to create an annual program called “Sensory Santa,” which is aimed at delivering Christmas joy to children that suffer from autism.
According to Quebedeaux, each child is brought in for 10 minutes with Santa and Mrs. Claus, and the atmosphere is tailored to the child’s needs so that nothing triggers an autistic reponse.
“We turn off the music if that might trigger them, sometimes I have to get down and sit on the floor to put them at ease. But once they are comfortable, they get that gleam in their eye and seeing those bright smiles is just an incredible feeling, there is nothing like it,” Santa Quebedeaux said.
Much of the Quebedeaux’s work is done for charities, but they do accept paying gigs to help offset the costs and he says some of those paid events can get a little racy when holiday revelers get a little too much cheer.
“Yeah, sometimes I am a little shocked at the response when I ask adults what they want for Christmas, but it’s all in fun,” Quebedeaux said.
However, his work as Santa has put Quebedeaux in a real life situation where he, in character, was able to help someone in crisis.
Quebedeaux says he was headed to an event when he pulled over his bright red pickup truck into a gas station for a fill-up when he was approached by a man who seemed in distress.
“You are who I have been looking for,” the man said.
At first, Quebedeaux was worried the man meant him harm, but it became clear that he only wanted to talk to Santa. The man had mental issues, was just released from the hospital and appeared to be suicidal.
The man began telling his story as if he was talking to a priest or maybe a bartender, and he was reaching out to what he considered a symbol of hope and love.
“I listened to him and we talked about his prospects for tomorrow and his mood changed as if he was really talking to Santa. I knew I was going to be late for the event, but I felt this man needed me and so I stayed and I promised him that he was going to make it,” Quebedeaux said.
For her part, Jenny Quebedeaux has fully embraced her role as Mrs. Claus.
“When I see the kids look into his eyes and their eyes get animated, I feel like I am watching the personification of hope and magic. It is a beautiful thing to watch,” Jenny Quebedeaux said.
Scott Hudson is the Senior Investigative Reporter and Editorial Page Editor for The Augusta Press. Reach him at scott@theaugustapress.com
