The pandemic has put Santa performers in a tough situation. As USA Today reports, many Santas count on their end-of-year gigs to make extra cash, and in some cases, a big chunk of their annual income. Mitch Allen, founder of HireSanta.com, which manages a network of about 2,000 performers, told the outlet that a mall Santa with “a real beard, real belly, real laugh” can make between $5,000 and $10,000 working in November and December.
Michael Howe, who is a retired public school teacher and has portrayed Santa on and off for 27 years, said the privilege of playing Santa is more important this year because of the unrest in the country, as well as because of the economic and social challenges. For him, the income is “very needed” because he’s not on social security yet, according to USA Today. Yet, it’s still a tough call.
“I want to do personal visits,’’ Howe told the outlet, “but I also want to make sure that I’m safe.’’