Danville's Santa brings joy to all

Dec. 21—DANVILLE — Jerry Strain leads a double life during the holidays.

Most days during the year he's a 21-year-old Danville resident, but come November he transforms into his alter ego: the jolly old man in a red suit.

"This will be Year Seven as Santa," he said. "For me, gigs start in mid-November."

As Downtown Danville's official Santa, Strain appears in the Night of Lights parade and can be found between 10 a.m. and noon every Saturday after the parade on the stage at Temple Plaza.

"For people in the community who might not be able to afford a photo with Santa, this is free," he said. "They can take as many photos as they like."

Santa used to occupy the Santa House in Temple Plaza, but the June 29 derecho destroyed his house.

Santa's final appearance at Temple Plaza before Christmas will from 10 a.m. to noon this Saturday.

"What's so amazing is he's so young and that he portrays Santa so effectively," Ashton Greer, community relations administrator for the City of Danville, said. "The children love him, and he sews his own costumes."

The road to becoming a professional Santa started when Strain was a student at North Ridge Middle School.

"When I was in middle school, I was cast as Santa in 'Elf,'" he said. "I enjoyed it so much, I researched what it took to be a professional Santa."

"Also what got me into it was the film documentary 'Becoming Santa,'" he said. "He took the same journey as me and wanted to bring joy. I do it to give kids joy."

Strain attended a Santa School, which consisted of three days of classes, and learned how to accurately portray the legendary figure and how to deal with children.

"I learned that when you're at parades, make sure you have a big entrance," he said.

"I also found out how big of a deal Santa is to some kids," he continued. "Kids will say stuff to Santa that they won't say to their parents."

To look like a believable Santa, the right outfit and beard are needed. The Santa School gave Strain and the other students resources to find those items, but Strain also makes his own costumes and has created additional pieces for his Santa wardrobe.

"I have more than one Santa outfit," he said. "I have a long robe that I made and a green vest for big events, and I have a Coca-Cola style outfit that has fur down the front."

Although Strain sports a beard in real life, he wears a laced-on beard that he meticulously grooms.

"It takes five hours to wash and style Santa's beard," he said.

During the holiday season, Santa is invited to visit local schools and made an appearance at Project Success of Vermilion County last week when families who were on the Christmas Wish List came to pick up their gifts.

"He is so magical," Project Success Program Director Abby Boen said. "I think it was a great surprise for everyone, and he gave families a Christmas ornament and candy cane suckers."

Strain said he enjoys visiting the schools which include Liberty Elementary School and his alma mater Edison Elementary School.

"Going to Edison Elementary is cool because I get to see my old teachers," he said.

"When I make an appearance at the schools, I take photos with them and ask them if they were good, and I talk to them about their elf on a shelf," he said. "I talk a lot about the North Pole, too."

Strain credits his performing arts background with Danville Light Opera musical theater and KTS community theater with helping him interact with children and answer some of the more difficult questions that Santa is asked.

"There's a lot of improv involved," he said. "There's definitely some big questions for Santa. Sometimes I have to wing it, and theater has definitely helped me.

"I've had kids ask for ponies, and one wanted a real dinosaur," he recalled. "I told them, it's the North Pole, I'll try."

Quick thinking also saved Strain when his 7-year-old niece accidentally saw him dressing up as Santa.

"I told her Santa hired me to help spread Christmas cheer because he can't be everywhere, and she believed me," he said.

Santa also has had his share of crying babies over the years.

"I try to get the parents or grandparents involved and have the baby touch the fur on my suit to comfort them," he said.

Sometimes the mere presence of Santa can be overwhelming for some children.

"Earlier this year I had a downtown gig and, as I came around the corner, a kid was so excited he jumped in my arms," he said.

The COVID pandemic, however, didn't stop Santa from bringing joy to youngsters.

"During COVID I did home visits and virtual visits," he said. "For the virtual visits I had a background that looked like the North Pole and a friend that was Mrs. Claus."

Strain still offers virtual visits for children that are out of state.

When Strain was able to resume portraying Santa in public, he was surprised by the reaction he received.

"I was overwhelmed by how much kids missed Santa," he said. "I had kids hug me and not let go."

In addition to Santa School, Strain had a mentor, the late Rodney Woodworth of Champaign, who portrayed Santa for more than 30 years. He passed away a couple years ago.

"I met him through theater, and I definitely got a lot of advice from him on everything — the look and the personification of Santa," Strain said. "My Santa is joy. He embodies what Christmas is today."

One of Woodworth's Santa gigs was an annual appearance during the Champaign-Urbana Symphony Orchestra's Season of Joy concert.

"Santa comes on stage during the program," Strain said. "After he passed away, they (symphony orchestra) called me not knowing that I knew Rodney and asked me to be Santa. I believe he had something to do with it."

Strain said he was given Woodworth's Santa hat which he wore during his first Downtown Danville appearance.

"It was kind of like the passing of the torch," he said.

Strain is committed to being Santa for a long time.

"It's a hobby, but I love it much more than that," he said. "They warned us at Santa School about ego inflating because kids love Santa so much. But the love they give you, you have to give it back. What I do, I do for the kids.

"Anybody can put on a beard and suit, but I make sure it's magical," Strain said. "I plan to do it for the rest of my life."