With his intellect firmly engaged in the executive suite of a major corporation, Jeffrey Schatzer's heart is in the North Pole this time of year.
The Midland resident has a degree from the Charles W. Howard Santa Claus School and a deep Ho-HO-HO that tickles funny bones. Not to mention arms made for hugging and a bushy white beard, grown every year just to please the multitude of children who come whisper their heart's desire in his ear.
"All sorts of things happen when you are Santa Claus, these little magical occurrences and it is a privilege to be a witness to them," said Schatzer, who has a part-time residence in Bellaire. "I had a young girl the other night, 14-15 years old, who waited through a pretty significant wait. All she did was throw her arms around me and give me a big hug, saying that since she was two all she asked for was for her daddy to come home. This year he came home."
"It is my belief that children have a short time in their lives when they can believe wholeheartedly," he added.
Since 1996, Schatzer has played Santa Claus at venues around the state, including Midland, Saginaw and Bay City. Eschewing malls and preferring a more personal venue, he inaugurated a local gig this year with the Grand Traverse Dinner Train.
For the four weekends between Thanksgiving and Christmas, Schatzer rode the rails with hundreds of spellbound children and their parents. He made sure to greet children as they boarded the train and made a big show of removing his red Santa overcoat before settling in for the visit.
Nattily attired in a gold threaded waistcoat, with a watch on a chain in his vest pocket and Santa glasses perched on his nose, he made the rounds. Teasing and hugging, listening and laughing, Schatzer delighted young and old.
One of his favorite things is to pull out a small flashlight and check out a child's teeth, counting loose or missing teeth.
"To me, this is what life is all about," said Schatzer, who has two grown children and five grandchildren. "It is so much fun to have fun with children and parents."
As for the Grand Traverse Dinner Train organization, they count their lucky stars that Schatzer called them.
"He is really a wonderful addition to our offerings," said Ella Cooper-Froehlich, president of the Grand Traverse Dinner Train. "He's got such a warm heart and is approachable by all the children."
"He spends time with each child," she added. "He's really a marvelous man with many talents."
Shy or fearful children who cower at Santa are no problem for Schatzer, who does not take their fear personally. Instead, he works to put these children at ease by asking for a hug or offering stickers. These approaches often melt the reluctance away and he soon has a new friend.
"There's some magical property to the stickers, I don't know what it is," he noted. "Then there's the little ones who come at a dead run and almost tackle you with a hug."
Schatzer backed into his role as Santa Claus, attending Santa school with a friend, both planning to get thrown out. But during the two-and-a-half day course, both he and his friend were drawn into the magic of the legend.
They studied the legend of St. Nicholas and history of Santa Claus in depth, learned to sing and dance. They also memorized the poem 'Twas the Night Before Christmas' in both the modern version and using the original Victorian-era language.
After seven years lighting up eyes and hearts, he and his friend relish the memories.
"We talk and compare notes and share the wonderful stories and the sad stories," Schatzer noted.
After hearing so many stories over the years, Schatzer has turned his talents to composition. Some of his short stories have been published and he has written a book about Christmas stories and will be collaborating with a local photographer on the pictures. He plans to self publish it through his company, Big Belly Press, next year.
"When I starred doing this in 96, one of the things that sort of captivated me was the fact that you are witness to a variety of ideas, stories and concepts, things that escape most people as they run about doing most of their lives," Schatzer said. "But I get a chance to get an incredible influx of stories."
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