Santa's fans welcome sleigh
Reactions ranged from curious glances to careful inspection yesterday as passersby spotted Globe Santa's Sleigh parked outside South Station, but Santa's biggest fans responded the way they usually do.
The children raced across the pavement, weaving through the lunchtime business crowd with their eyes wide and smiles bright, as they shouted to no one in particular, "Look, there's Santa!"
There were a few shy ones, of course, and the majority of people in downtown Boston on a Monday afternoon were adults busily beginning another work week, but the lucky children who happened by made the most of their opportunity. A blond brother and sister gathered the nerve to sit on Santa Claus's lap for the first time, according to their mother.
"They wrote their Christmas lists on the train ride in to visit their Dad at work," Amanda Curtis of Wellesley said of her two children, Charlie, 6, and Lily, 4. "And they've been very, very good this year."
The two grinned and chatted with Santa, looking quite comfortable as they ran through their holiday wishes.
The sleigh made its first stop yesterday, ushering in a new innovation for the Globe Santa Fund Drive and giving people an additional way to donate to the campaign. For the next few weeks, Santa Claus, his helpers, and celebrity guests will travel around Eastern Massachusetts, making stops at MBTA stations, local shopping malls, businesses, and other locations.
"We wanted to find a new way to raise visibility," said Globe publisher Richard H. Gilman, on hand for the inaugural sleigh stop. "And this is going to be fun, with the exciting lineup we have taking part. It's a win-win situation for everyone, for those participating and, of course, for the children who need our help."
The turnout indicated the idea will be a winner for those along the sleigh route as well. A steady flow of people stopped to drop some money into the collection bin, pick up some free gifts, enter a holiday raffle, and pose with Santa.
Boston businessmen Tom Montgomery and his partner Ross Sigmund of Mosiki Development Corp. came by to present Santa with a check for $2,500. Another contributor was 35-year-old Josh Sherwood of Bitpipe, a software company. Sherwood said it was his first time donating to Globe Santa, and now that he has an 18-month-old child, Christmas has taken on new meaning.
"She is just starting to recognize Santa Claus," he said, "so I realize I'm more aware, that's for sure."
On the first leg of the four-week tour, Santa was joined by Josiah Spaulding from the Wang Center, which is helping to raise funds for Globe Santa during this year's presentation of the Radio City Christmas Spectacular, and Ming Tsai, TV chef, author, and owner of Blue Ginger restaurant in Wellesley.
Globe Santa's Sleigh was equipped with cookies from Blue Ginger, Rockettes posters from the Wang Center, Santa stickers, and a free raffle with a chance to win tickets to a performance of the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. Raffle tickets will be available today and tomorrow at South Station; five pairs of tickets will be drawn on Dec. 9 for the Dec. 21 show, which also will be Globe Santa night at the Wang Center. 