Santa to spread holiday cheer – not COVID-19 – at area malls

The COVID-19 pandemic is forcing area malls and holiday event organizers to rethink how Santa can safely interact with children so he’s spreading holiday cheer and not the coronavirus.
That’s made things more difficult for Dorothea Pemberton, executive director of Monongahela Area Chamber of Commerce, who welcomes Santa to the city every Friday and Saturday night during the holiday season.
This year, there’s a black railing separating Santa at least six feet from the children who come to visit him, and each child is required to wear a mask.
“We’re not letting any holding or touching,” Pemberton said. “We’re doing the best we can in the COVID world. We’re making sure everyone wears a mask. Santa is good about keeping his distance.”
The situation has been personally difficult for Pemberton’s husband, Les, who dresses up as Santa for the events in order to deliver children’s Christmas wish lists to the North Pole.
“Distancing from the children has been difficult for him. He likes to talk to the children,” Pemberton said. “He listens to them and navigates the waters with the children if the parents give him a look like, ‘There’s no way I can afford that.'”
The health of Santa and Mrs. Claus is also a concern for some older adults who portray them.

Courtesy of Joseph Hancsak
Courtesy of Joseph Hancsak
Joseph Hancsak of South Park shows off the festive Christmas mask he wears while appearing as Santa Claus during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Joseph Hancsak and his wife, Elizabeth, have portrayed the Christmas couple for years, but have had to cut back on some appearances or put up physical barriers to keep their distance when they do make visits with children. Hancsak, 73, of South Park, is diabetic and has high blood pressure, so he’s particularly concerned about contracting the virus.
“I don’t want to jeopardize myself, but we’ll take any precautions we need to so we can have a happy Christmas for the kids,” Hancsak said, adding he wears a mask over his beard while making appearances. “We’ll do the best we can and I’ll be as careful as I can.”
But he wants to make sure children still can enjoy the Christmas season, even if it’s a little different this year.
“I think it is important,” he said. “There are a lot of people who have their idea about Santa. I think Santa at Christmastime is hope for people. You don’t want to see the Santa tradition go away because of this.”

Courtesy of Washington Crown Center
Courtesy of Washington Crown Center
Washington Crown Center has built a barn and winter wonderland in the North Franklin Township mall for Santa Claus to physically distance himself from children while listening to their Christmas wish lists.
And the tradition isn’t going away at Washington Crown Center, which has built a barn and winter wonderland in the mall for Santa’s arrival Saturday, Dec. 5. The set lets Santa to be physically distanced from the children, while also allowing photographs to be taken. Santa can also hang out in his barn and speak directly to children behind Plexiglas windows.
Civil Knox, the general manager of the mall in North Franklin Township, has “been working on the plan for months” in order to create a safe environment for everyone involved. In addition to the physical distancing created by the set, there will be hand sanitizing stations, the area will be cleaned several times a day, masks are required for visitors and Santa will likely be wearing a face shield.
“We’re looking to make it as safe and clean as possible, while also having the experience of Santa,” Knox said. “We’re ready to go.”
After Santa’s premier this weekend, he’ll return Monday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and visit Sundays 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., with a few “reindeer feeding breaks” sprinkled in.
“There’s no way Santa is going to miss Christmas this year,” she said.
Santa arrived at South Hills Village mall Nov. 20 with similar COVID-19 safety precautions. In addition to those measures, the mall is asking for people to make reservations for their children to have socially distanced photographs with Santa by going online to southhillsvillagesanta.splashthat.com.
The Mall at Robinson rolled out an “all-new, contactless set making the magic and traditions possible to continue” with Santa sitting in the back seat of the sleigh while children lead his reindeer from the front seat several feet away.
He also made a “quiet arrival” to Uniontown Mall Thursday afternoon while adhering to various safety guidelines for photos. But the mall was also offering a virtual experience with Santa through the website www.createholidaymagic.com.
“We’re just following the CDC guidelines and what (Gov. Tom Wolf) has done,” Hancsak said of his various appearances across the region. “It’s an unusual year. We wish (the pandemic) would be over, but it doesn’t look like it will be over for a while. You just have to hunker down and protect yourself.”