DIAMOND POINT — While Saint Nicholas’ lore has been around a long time, Diamond Point’s Father Christmas has been making the rounds on the North Olympic Peninsula for 16 years.
This year marks 50 years overall for Santa Claus, aka Don McIntyre, who dons his red garb for the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots.
McIntyre, who turned 80 on Veterans Day, Nov. 11, started the annual tradition in Federal Way, and with help from his wife Sharlene, they’ve kept it going each year, recruiting donations for local children.
Stephen Deutermann, Clallam Toys for Tots’ coordinator, said McIntyre has been “very effective” as Santa.
“For 50 years, he’s really refined the art of Santa. The way he approaches it is heartwarming,” Deutermann said. “He’s great with kids and grouchy with adults, which is how it should be.”
Eric Miner, assistant coordinator for Clallam’s Toys for Tots campaign, has worked with McIntyre since 2006.
“It’s a joy any time I’m with him and kids at parties and breakfasts and everything he’s involved in,” Miner said.
Although he works more in Clallam County — from Sequim to Forks and Clallam Bay-Sekiu — McIntyre also visits East Jefferson County, said Don Olsen of the Port Townsend Kiwanis Club. The club coordinates the Toys for Tots program in Jefferson County.
“He roams around over here and hands out candy canes,” Olsen said, adding that he has been known to drop in on a Kiwanis Club meeting.
Said Deutermann: “He goes wherever he’s requested.”
In typical years, McIntyre can be seen in businesses, donation drives and parties across the Peninsula, promoting the program. You can hear him shaking jingle bells and reminding people, “Don’t forget the cookies.”
For the record, Santa prefers oatmeal with walnuts and cranberries, he said.
McIntyre makes it a tradition to hand out candy canes to good boys and girls and chunks of coal (wrapped chocolate) to likely naughty people.
When asked how many candy canes he’s handed out in 50 years, McIntyre chuckled.
“Thousands,” he said. “That’s been a problem. I can’t hand them out there this year, so I’ve been handing out boxes to help get them out (at businesses).”
Coastal Farm Ranch is one of many drop-off locations for toys across Sequim and Clallam County for this year’s U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots campaign. (Matthew Nash/Olympic Peninsula News Group)
Appearances
Santa’s appearances have been cut due to the risk of exposure to COVID-19.
His only scheduled appearance at this point is from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the Longhouse Market in Blyn, where he’ll be wearing his Toys for Toys mask and keeping 6 feet away from folks while greeting people as best he can.
McIntyre said he’s taken the pandemic “rather seriously” and avoided crowds.
One of the many drawbacks has been being unable to complete his look holding his pipe in his mouth with a mask on. While he doesn’t smoke it and tells children it’s a bubble pipe, McIntyre said it brings back a lot of memories for people.
This is the first year he isn’t “going night and day for Toys for Tots,” Miner said.
“He individually collects more money than our whole Marine League detachment,” he said. “He’s something else.”
Leading up to Christmas, McIntyre is typically in his suit — one of five handmade by his wife, Sharlene, chosen depending on the weather — from morning to night, seven days a week.
Santa’s costs for driving, candy canes and coal come out of McIntyre’s pocket.
“They are an amazing couple for what they’ve done for children across the Northwest,” Miner said.
A Christmas calling
McIntyre pinpoints multiple moments in time why he started, and continued to be, Santa.
It may have begun during his time in a Kentucky orphanage, seeing the need of children.
Something may have sparked when he first donned the suit for a children’s party at the orders of his marine sergeant at age 18.
As a member of the Jaycees in Federal Way, he met a 90-plus-year-old woman who said she’s done performing as Santa and pinpointed him as next-of-kin for Kris Kringle.
Many, many more moments came to his Santa in hugs, conversations and smiles. The response in seeing Santa has remained the same in 50 years, too, he said.
“Even if they’re having a bad day and grumpy, they see Santa they get a smile on their face,” McIntyre said. “That hasn’t changed.”
McIntyre, who retired from hospital equipment purchasing and owning a rental store, attributes his longevity to his wife, noting, “If it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t be able to do it.”
She makes and fixes his suits, helps with goody bags and drives him to events “so he doesn’t have to find a place to park,” Sharlene said.
The couple has been married for 52 years, has three children and “a lot of grand-cats.”
But even with so much time dedicated to Christmas, Sharlene said she doesn’t feel she’s married to Santa. “(It’s) just Don.”
Distribution, donations
Toys for Tots and Christmas for Children in East Jefferson County plan a distribution this Sunday at the county fairgrounds, 4907 Landes St., in Port Townsend. Those who have applied will be able to pick up boxes from 8 a.m. to noon, Olsen said.
Anyone who missed the opportunity to apply but still wants help also can show up, he added.
“There usually is more than enough,” he said.
Toys for Tots in Clallam County collects toys for about 20 agencies, which then distribute them to children who otherwise might not have Christmas presents.
Toys for Tots will accept direct requests after this coming Tuesday from families or individuals who are unable to be served by these agencies, said Deutermann of Clallam County.
Donations to a Fill-the-Bus event in the Port Townsend Safeway parking lot on Saturday outpaced all expectations, Olsen said.
The event garnered more than 560 toys and over $8,000 in cash, he said.
“I just can’t say enough about what a fabulous year we’ve had so far,” Olsen said. “Fill the Bus made up for anything that we would have lost” due to COVID-19 precautions.
“Our community was just all out there.”
Deutermann said donation drives set up outside major retailers in Clallam County have been canceled, but the community has shifted nicely to monetary donations.
“We’re going to be able to take care of the kids this year,” he said.
Donations also can be made at toysfortots.org and finding the local detachment button to support Clallam County and Jefferson County children.
Olsen said close to 550 children are served through Toys for Tots and Christmas for Children, with Toys for Tots taking care of toy wishes and Christmas for Children providing clothing and other needs.
Miner estimates there being more than 3,400 children in need in Clallam County, and that they plan to provide two toys, books, stocking stuffers and more to each one with help from 21 agencies.
“This year we expect the need to be that great, if not greater,” Miner said.
“With the unique atmosphere put across the whole country, people who were close to the edge are now over,” Deutermann said.
“This is an opportunity for us retired folks or volunteers to pay attention to people who are under a lot of stress.”
As for McIntyre, the pandemic may have provided him more downtime, but he doesn’t plan to stop portraying Santa.
“Now I’m pushing for 55-plus years (as Santa),” he said. “As long as I’m able, I’ll be there.”
While others may hang up their belt buckles and toy bags, McIntyre said, “Being a foster kid, I know how important Christmas is.”
“I have had a couple of Christmases where I didn’t get anything,” he said. “I hope every kid gets something. Toys for Tots is my way of helping them do it.”
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Matthew Nash is a reporter with the Olympic Peninsula News Group, which is composed of Sound Publishing newspapers Peninsula Daily News, Sequim Gazette and Forks Forum. Reach him at mnash@sequimgazette.com.
Executive Editor Leah Leach contributed to this story.
