Being Santa is more than the red suit for Utah man with Down syndrome
By Robyn Oguinye
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LAYTON, Utah (KSTU) — Santa Claus came to town a few days early, with many seeing him at a Smith’s in Layton, fulfilling the decades-old tradition of ringing the bell for the Salvation Army’s Red Kettle Campaign.
Santa, who also goes by Kegan, has Down syndrome, but for all intents and purposes, he is the perfect Santa. From the beard to the boots, to his ability to bust a move, Kegan embodies the role of Kris Kringle with ease.
“He has about four different Santa suits and he wears them all year long,” said his aunt, Karen Reynold. “So when we’re doing the bell for Christmas, it’s just natural that he would wear his suit.”
Every good Santa has their chief elf to get the Christmas spirit going, and for Kegan that would be Karen.
“Christmas is his time of year,” she explained. “He started probably back in June getting ready for Christmas, putting up his Christmas tree all year long. With his ho ho ho’s, we have had a really good reception. Everyone thinks it makes them happy just to look at him and to see him dancing.
“His Christmas spirit just shines through.”
Everyone from the young to the young in spirit would say it’s hard to resist Kegan’s charm as the jolly man in the red suit.
“He has been doing it for about three years,” Karen said. “He absolutely loves Christmas and so it’s just a way to get him out and into the community and a way to give back.”
What does Kegan’s chief elf want people to know most about her nephew?
“I would love them to know just how special he is and how smart and caring (he is),” she said. “And he knows way more than we do about everything about Santa, about elves and the magic of Christmas.”
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