Salina Post
The Georgetown Santas are back and ready for action this Christmas season, as they will continue their tradition for the 27th year.
This December 21st - 23rd, 6:30 pm - 9:00 pm each night, the Santas and their elves will give out candy and freshly-popped popcorn to passersby on 2312 Georgetown Road in Salina.
This event is open to all in the community and is FREE of charge, as donations are encouraged to help offset operating expenses.
The community continues to show a desire for this annual tradition as they have fueled the operation to allow the Santas to operate entirely off of donations from the community for the last 20+ years. Year after year, the Santas have continued to receive enough in donations to cover the associated costs of supporting the event for the following year, namely the costs associated with procuring all of the candy and popcorn supplies.
The Georgetown Santas greet thousands of visitors each year in the days leading up to Christmas, from neighbors that approach on foot, to travelers coming in from out of state. The Santas distribute hundreds of pounds of candy, several thousand candy canes, and the Elves pop over 350 lbs. of popcorn in their 3 days of operation, annually.
For those wanting to join this beloved tradition, all you need to do is drive to Georgetown Road, stay in your vehicles, receive road directions from the Elves and roll down the windows to get your treats!
Pictures with the Santas are welcome, and there is a request for you to pull your vehicle ahead to park to not hold up traffic, so that the team can continue to serve other guests.
The Santas and Elves consist of:
Santas:
Jack Schmiedeler, Paul McDaniel, Pete Martin, Mel Augustine, Brian Berner, Jay Caldwell, Kevin Bernhardt and Steve Sperling.
Elves:
Justin Martin, Larry Thompson, John Miller, Zach Schreiber and Joe Becker.
History of Georgetown Santas
Since 1999, Santa Jack Schmiedeler would stand out at the end of his driveway and wave at the passersby. He then started handing out candy as cars stopped to see Santa.
The following year, Santa Paul McDaniel joined up with Santa Jack to spread the Christmas cheer. Within the next three years, Santas Pete Martin, Mike Chaput, and Mel Augustine joined in to support the cause. It was about that time that the Santas and their helpers; Justin Martin, Virgil Michaelis, and Larry Thompson; began handing out freshly-popped popcorn in addition to the candy.
From these humble beginnings has grown a true Christmas tradition on Georgetown Road.
To listen to the Georgetown Santas soundtrack on Spotify, click here.
For more information, click here.
Watch the video below to see how Georgetown Santas prepare for their tradition since 1999.