Sarasota Santa shares what it takes to wear the red suit

Each year, Santa Claus flies down from the north, taking part in some of Sarasota's major holiday events. 

Although to be clear, he comes from Michigan, not the North Pole, and his name is Mark Welicki, not Kris Kringle.

For more than 20 years, since he was recruited by his brother Tom Welicki, a former parade committee member, the 63-year-old has been a fixture of the Downtown Sarasota Holiday Parade, the tree lighting at Selby Five Points Park and the Sarasota Holiday Boat Parade of Lights.

Welicki also brings a history of spreading holiday cheer back at home, including at the high school his children attended and at Children's Hospital of Michigan.

The Observer sat down with Welicki to ask him what keeps him coming back to the red suit and Sarasota year after year.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity. 

Why do you enjoy about being Santa?

Anytime I can make a child smile, I love doing that.

When I go down for the parade and the tree lighting, I go early and make sure I make the rounds to the kids. 

In that parade, I walked into one side where they had all the kids getting ready to go into the parade, and the next thing you know they just started yelling “Santa, Santa, Santa!”

If Santa can make them smile, that’s why I’m there. I love doing that. I love doing that. I hand out candy canes, light-up necklaces to everybody, as many as I can. I do run out.

What motivated you to become Santa?

My mom had died at an early age, and my dad had lost his leg and he was living with his brother at the time, so I was living alone in a burnt-out house on the east side of Detroit. There wasn’t much of a Santa there.

I want a better life, a better time for other kids. There’s so much that it means. It warms your heart. Especially here in Sarasota. The kids just love you, and they smile, and they warm your heart too. They're not the only ones getting something out of it.

What brings you to Sarasota?

I fly down just for this. I'm really surprised they don't open my baggage sometimes. 

I carry all the bells and everything else with me. It's all in my suitcases and I pray to God that they don't lose them, because I don’t want to end up here without anything. 

I love this place. I really do. I've been coming here since there were orange trees in the center of the roads, and that was fantastic.

What qualities does it take to succeed as Santa?

A good attitude, and a smile. 

They’re not going to see your face, but I’m still going to smile under that beard for them. I’m going to be there with the kids, I’m going hug them, I’m going to make them laugh, I’m going to put my beard over their face; that’ll make the kids laugh. 

You’ve got to love kids, and seeing their smile. And I think that’s the biggest thing, if you can make them feel good for a little while.

How do you go about your day as Santa?

I always like getting up early. I always like seeing the kids beforehand. 

I've been on boats, I've been on fire engines, I've been on sleds, I've been on horse drawn carriages, but I always make sure I go to everybody on each side. 

As we go past the jail in downtown Sarasota, I always make sure that I wave to the prisoners up there, because they’re in their windows also, looking down at us. You’ve got to give them a wave too, because they’re people too, and if it’s going to make them feel better too, why not? 

I try to get as many people in as I can for Merry Christmas, Feliz Navidad, ho, ho ho — as much as I can. It wears me out, but it’s well worth it. It’s well worth it.

Photo by Ian Swaby

How do you make sure that you look convincing as Santa?

Anything I get for Santa I’m hoping it’s as nice as Santa can be. I love having the smell (of cookies.) That creates the illusion also.

I make sure my beard is full, I make sure the hair is down, I make sure the bells are on, I make sure my white gloves are on, and I make sure no boot tops. I don’t like boot tops. 

I have two suits that come with me here, but I have two more suits at home. You’ve got to make sure you’ve got a nice clean suit ready to go at a moment's notice. Just in case.

I have my cosmetic case, of course. I’ve got to put the red liner on my cheeks, and then I’ve got sparkles that I put on, and I white out the eyebrows, just in case they can see them. 

I’ve got a couple of brushes with weighted heads so I can brush the hair.

I used to have more bells, but I went into the Children’s Hospital a couple of times with the bells, and sometimes you can’t. Shhh. I kind of cut those, but I still have the ones on the wrist, which are fantastic. 

What else do you need to be aware of when preparing?

You’re going to want to make sure you’ve got your T-shirt on because that’s going to absorb some of the sweat, because it’s warm down here compared to Detroit, especially last Saturday (at the parade). Boy, was it warm out there. You always want the long socks so your boots don’t rub your calves.

How long does it take you to get ready?

About a half hour. You want to make sure you’re at 100%. 

How do you deliver the perfect "ho, ho, ho"?

You’ve got to have the voice. The day after the parade, the laugh is a big thing. (Welicki mimics laryngitis.) Everybody will ho, ho, ho at you. But you’ve got to be louder than them. You’ve got to be more boisterous, more booming, so that they’re hearing you, and they know, “I know that ho, ho, ho. It’s louder and more booming. That’s Santa.”

Photo by Ian Swaby

Do you like cookies and hot chocolate?

This Santa happens to like oatmeal raisin cookies and not chocolate chip. The kids will say, “Santa, we’re going to leave you chocolate chip cookies.” OK.

Of course I love hot chocolate. Who wouldn’t? 

After the parade and all, you have to drink a hot tea with honey and lemon so it cools your throat down a little bit. But other than that, I love the cookies and oh, just everything else. 

I assume you are a fan of the Christmas season.

I’m on Facebook and I’ll post on there sometimes, “Only 100 days left to Christmas.” And people will go, “Mark, be quiet.” 

What are some impactful experiences you have had as Santa?

When I did Children’s Hospital, there was this one girl there, one year, and she was homeless with her mom in the city of Detroit on the streets, and she had frostbitten feet, where they had to take one leg and one of her hands. 

I had started started handing out presents and there she was, and I handed her a present, and she was crying on my shoulder. I was still being happy Santa, but she had never, ever seen Santa before, or Santa had never given her anything before this happened. 

And I have many more stories like that.

How do you go about your day outside of being Santa?

Meet people, say hello. Give them a smile. Even if you're just passing by, say, “Good afternoon.” “Good morning.” If it makes you feel good, it makes them feel good, because they'll smile after you leave.