Steve Cant 63, Mark Smithers 28, Steve Hickman 46 and Joseph Borg 71. Picture: Tim Hunter
Source: The Sunday Times
HO ho no! The festive season is facing its biggest crisis with a
lack of Santas to stack the sacks in shopping store grottos across the
state.
The situation is so critical - especially in country towns - that a
Mr Claus recruitment agency is signing up older teens to fulfil the
Christmas wishes of every young child."A lot of people believe it is a job only for a fat old man, but that's not the case," National Santa project manager for Bluestone Recruitment, Alan Ellis said.
"We are calling on 19-year-olds and upwards. When you get them dressed up in their costumes, you wouldn't know their age.
"You don't have to be fat because we will give you an artificial belly and we also give them an eyebrow-whitening pencil.
"We need around 600 Santas this year, but we only have 300. We desperately need Santas for Newcastle, Wagga Wagga, the Blue Mountains and Dubbo."
"No matter what your age you can keep the Christmas spirit alive and put smiles on the children's faces," he said. "This is my first year of being a Santa and I couldn't be more excited. I am the youngest Santa in this photo, but I was the fattest so it shows age doesn't matter."