While Saint Nicholas’ lore has been around a long time, Father Christmas has been making the rounds in Sequim for 16 years.
This year marks 50 years overall for Santa Claus, aka Don McIntyre, donning the red garb for the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots. McIntyre, who turned 80 on Veterans Day, Nov. 11, started the annual tradition in Federal Way, and with help from his wife Sharlene they’ve kept it going each year recruiting donations for local children.
Stephen Deutermann, Clallam Toys for Tots’ coordinator, said McIntyre has been “very effective” as Santa.
“For 50 years he’s really refined the art of Santa; the way he approaches it is heartwarming,” Deutermann said. “He’s great with kids and grouchy with adults, which is how it should be.”
Eric Miner, assistant coordinator for Clallam’s Toys for Tots campaign, has worked with the McIntyres since 2006.
“It’s a joy anytime I’m with him and kids at parties and breakfasts and everything he’s involved in,” Miner said.
In typical years, McIntyre can be seen in businesses, donation drives and parties across the Olympic Peninsula promoting the program. You can hear him shaking jingle bells and reminding people, “Don’t forget the cookies.”
For the record, Santa prefers oatmeal with walnuts and cranberries, he says.
McIntyre makes it a tradition to hand out candy canes to good boys and girls and chunks of coal (wrapped chocolate) to likely naughty people.
When asked how many candy canes he’s handed out in 50 years, McIntyre chuckled.
“Thousands,” he said. “That’s been a problem. I can’t hand them out there this year, so I’ve been handing out boxes to help get them out (at businesses).”
Coastal Farm & Ranch is one of many drop-off locations for toys across Sequim and Clallam County for the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots campaign. Don McIntyre has recruited for toys and donations to the agency for 50 years. Organizers also seek monetary donations to help purchase toys. Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash
Appearances
Santa’s appearances have been cut due to his potential risk factors for COVID-19. His only scheduled appearance so far is from 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 12, at the Longhouse Market, where he’ll be wearing his Toys for Toys mask and keeping 6 feet away from folks while greeting people as best he can.
McIntyre said he’s taken the pandemic “rather seriously” and avoided crowds.
One of the many drawbacks has been being unable to complete his look holding his pipe in his mouth with a mask on. While he doesn’t smoke it and tells children it’s a bubble pipe, McIntyre said it brings back a lot of memories for people.
This is the first year the McIntyres “aren’t going night-and-day for Toys for Tots,” Miner said.
“He individually collects more money than our whole marine league detachment,” he said. “He’s something else.”
Leading up to Christmas, McIntyre is typically in his suit — one of five handmade by Sharlene, chosen depending on the weather — from morning to night, seven days a week.
Santa’s costs for driving, candy canes and coal come out of their pocket, too.
“They are an amazing couple for what they’ve done for children across the northwest,” Miner said.
While the Santa breakfasts and Christmas parties are on hold, McIntyre said he typically goes to any event that asks for Santa. COVID-19 has put a halt on some events, but the McIntyres’ neighbors in Diamond Point kept a donation drive going in a safe manner, the couple said.
“Sequim is very generous,” McIntyre said.
A Christmas calling
McIntyre pinpoints multiple moments in time why he started, and continued to be, Santa.
It may have begun during his time in a Kentucky orphanage, seeing the need of children.
Something may have sparked when he first donned the suit for a children’s party at the orders of his marine sergeant at age 18.
As a member of the Jaycees in Federal Way, he met a 90-plus-year-old woman who said she’s done performing as Santa and pinpointed him as next-of-kin for Kris Kringle.
Many, many more moments came to his Santa in hugs, conversations and smiles. The response in seeing Santa has remained the same in 50 years, too, he said.
“Even if they’re having a bad day and grumpy, they see Santa they get a smile on their face,” McIntyre said. “That hasn’t changed.”
COVID may have provided him more downtime, but McIntyre said he doesn’t plan to stop.
“Now I’m pushing for 55-plus years (as Santa),” he said. “As long as I’m able, I’ll be there.”
While others may hang up their belt buckles and toy bags, McIntyre said “being a foster kid, I know how important Christmas is.”
“I have had a couple of Christmases where I didn’t get anything,” he said. “I hope every kid gets something. Toys for Tots is my way of helping them do it.”
McIntyre, who retired from hospital equipment purchasing and owning a rental store, attributes his longevity to his wife, noting, “If it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t be able to do it.”
She makes and fixes his suits, helps with goody bags and drives him to events “so he doesn’t have to find a place to park,” Sharlene said.
The couple has been married for 52 years, has three children and “a lot of grand-cats.”
But even with so much time dedicated to Christmas, Sharlene said she doesn’t feel she’s married to Santa. “(It’s) just Don.”
Don McIntyre said “being a foster kid, I know how important Christmas is,” hence why he’s continued to grow his beard out and serve as Santa for 50 years. “I have had a couple of Christmases where I didn’t get anything,” he said. “I hope every kid gets something. Toys for Tots is my way of helping them do it.” Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash
Toys for Tots
Giving continues to the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots by mailing monetary donations to: U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots, PO Box 3281, Sequim, WA 98382, with checks addressed to “Toys for Tots.”
Donations can also be made at Toysfortots.org and finding the local detachment button to support Clallam area children.
McIntyre said their donations help other agencies such as the Salvation Army and Sequim Community Aid, if needed.
Deutermann said donation drives set up outside major retailers have been cancelled but the community has shifted nicely to monetary donations.
“We’re going to be able to take care of the kids this year,” he said.
With donation boxes still available across communities but accessibility sometimes limited, Miner said they’ve shifted to focus on primarily buying toys.
He estimates there being more than 3,400 children in-need in Clallam County, and that they plan to provide two toys, books, stocking-stuffers and more to each one with help from 21 agencies.
“This year we expect the need to be that great if not greater,” Miner said.
“With the unique atmosphere put across the whole country, people who were close to the edge are now over,” Deutermann said.
“This is an opportunity for us retired folks or volunteers to pay attention to people who are under a lot of stress.”
Reach Matthew Nash at mnash@sequimgazette.com.
