Santa's Final Sleigh Ride: A Tale of Joy and Rest

Oct. 31—In the frosty North Pole, Santa Claus has begun to prepare his team of elves for the upcoming holiday season. A little bit farther south, in the small town of Somerset, one of Santa Claus' representatives is preparing to embark on his last season as the look-alike jolly St. Nick.

Local actor and current Pulaski County Government Executive Assistant John P. Alexander will play his last holiday season as Santa Claus after dressing in the iconic red suit for nearly 17 years.

"In 2006, I was approached to become the Santa Claus at the Somerset Mall," Alexander stated. "I was an actor for several years with the local community college, where (former SCC director) Steve Cleberg had trained me all these years to take on different roles. One of the roles I really hadn't done up to that point was Santa Claus. It ended up that the mall needed someone to fill in. I took on the role and really, really enjoyed it."

Playing different roles as a community actor and trying to deal with the occasional loneliness of the family-oriented holiday season, Alexander saw his role as Santa Claus as the perfect escape from a sometimes harsh reality.

"The holidays can be one of the loneliest times of the year for someone who is single and doesn't have their own family," Alexander admitted. "I figured [playing Santa] would be a really good way for me to get through the holiday season by staying very, very busy. Then by the time Christmas shows up, I'm pretty tired and have not really thought about [the holiday season] one way or the other."

But after 17 years of "Ho-Ho-Ho'ing" from early November to Christmas Eve, Alexander — the rosy-cheeked symbol of holiday joy and bearer of Christmas cheer — finally announced his retirement after nearly two decades of enchanting children across the county.

"Playing Santa Claus takes up a month-and-a-half out of the year for me," Alexander stated. "The more I thought about it and the more I've talked to my family and my friends about it, I came to the conclusion this year needed to be my last year as Santa Claus.

"In some ways I will be able to get my life back," Alexander explained. "I've enjoyed it very much over the years. Making kids laugh was always a good way for me to see Christmas through the eyes of a child and to see Christmas through the eyes of their families."

After 17 years, the local jolly man in the red suit is ready to embark on a new adventure of his own. Dedicating every hour of his free time for most of November and all of December, after working a full-time job, Alexander began to feel the strain of the long holiday season. Also, he started to notice that the kids that once sat on his lap to give him their Christmas "Wish List" were now parents of a new generation of kids sitting on his lap. Alexander explained that playing an important role such as Santa is very demanding emotionally.

"People don't understand that I was so well trained by Steve Cleberg in all the acting roles that I've ever done, especially Santa Claus," Alexander explained. "I do make it look easy and effortless in lots of ways. But it takes an emotional toll on me because you hear lots of stories when you're Santa Claus, and you hear lots of requests.

"You get requests from children that you know the real Santa Claus might not be able to come through with," Alexander stated. "He might not be able to get every child the PlayStation 5 they want. You know that's not a possibility for a lot of families. The physical part of it is wearing that suit, wearing the apparatus that I have to wear, the beard, and the wig. Also, changing my voice for a month and a half can take its toll as well, both physically and emotionally."

Alexander will take solace in the fact that the local area is blessed with several other great Santa Clause representatives in the likes of Tommy Cate, Robert Williams, and Tim Daulton. However, Alexander knows he will miss the connection with the kids.

"I will definitely miss that individual experience with the child, and with their families," Alexander stated. "Even if there's a line out the door, I take the time with each family the best I can, and I try my best to give everyone their own individual experience with Santa Claus.

"One of the other reasons why I feel comfortable stepping aside now is because Somerset has Tommy Cate, because it has Robert Williams, because it has Tim Daulton, and Ryan LaFavers; other actors that can can portray Santa Claus," Alexander stated.

Working his first six years as the Santa in the Somerset Mall, Alexander has also worked his holiday magic in Walmart Supercenter, Burnside's Christmas Island, and Kroger Marketplace. For the last few years, Alexander has pull Santa double duty at Christmas Island and Kroger Marketplace.

Alexander admitted his last season as Santa will be filled with a lot of unexpected emotions. However, one thing that he knows for sure is that his 13-year-old nephew Lexton Dillaha will be the last person to sit on his lap come Christmas Eve.

"The very last kid I see this year as Santa Claus will be my nephew, and that's when I'll finally tell him that it's been me [as Santa] all these years," Alexander said. "He's 13 and still does not know it is me, or he's been milking this for all it's worth all these years.

"I'm going to tell him at some point it'll probably be my last night as Santa," Alexander said in a solemn tone. "He has sat in my lap every holiday season since he was born and told me what he wants for Christmas. He's a very talented boy and, who knows, he might be able to take my place someday."

In the hushed halls of the North Pole, where the air is forever filled with the sweet scent of candy canes and the sound of elves' merry laughter, Santa Claus is now embarking on a new and heartwarming journey of his own: retirement.

Contact Steve Cornelius at scornelius@somerset-kentucky.com.