Galen Gordon didn't set out to become Santa. In fact, he thought people were crazy when they suggested he fill the festive red suit.
"I was maybe 30 or something. I was young and I didn't have the belly that I have now. So I'm like, 'I can't play no Santa Claus,' " Gordon recalls to WVXU.
At the time, he was a member of the Downtown Cincinnati Inc. committee in charge of planning holiday festivities Downtown, including finding a Santa. The group wanted a more inclusive Santa but were having trouble finding just the right Mr. Claus.
Gordon decided he'd give it a try for the kids. That was around 2009, and he hasn't stopped since.
Santa Galen granted WVXU an interview ahead of two upcoming Black Santa events where he'll be the star of the show.
Behind the beard with Santa Galen
Lets get one thing out of the way quickly: No, his beard's not real, and that's OK.
"When I come in, I'm happy to be there and I want to pour into that young person," he explains. "I have an artificial beard. A lot of Santas have a natural beard, and mine's artificial, and that's OK. I want that kid, that young person or adult, to feel like they're talking to Santa Claus — that they can have belief is really what the big deal is for me. So many of our folks are unattached socially, so many of our folks are jaded, even at a young age, and I just want people to have hope, and so that's what I try to exude."
When he's not embodying Father Christmas, Gordon makes a living in the hospitality industry as the general manager of a local hotel. He studied theater in college and enjoys performing. He hasn't attended "Santa School" or had any professional Santa training, though he is planning to attend a program in the coming years.
What he does have is a passion for the role, and the children he meets.
"I literally do it for the kids," he says. "I literally am doing it so that there's a Santa for our young people to see. There's a Santa for all the kids — doesn't matter if they are African American or what ethnicity they may be, it's for all the kids to see that Santa can really come in any color. Santa is a feeling; it's an emotion. Santa is a spirit and I want the kids to be able to see that.
"And I do want kids to be able to see that Santa can look like them. That's possible; that's really why I do it," he adds.
In the early years, Gordon says he didn't get the best shifts and maybe only saw a handful of kids each year. He decided to keep at it. Now, he says he gets multiple offers to inhabit the role each year, but chooses to do just a few.
He's gotten to the point where now kids who were a little on the older side when he first started out are bringing their newborns to see him. He's also noticed more families returning each year to get that coveted annual photo with Santa Galen.
"I love the exchange that I get with the young people — and the parents. Sometimes you get parents, (that) they want to sit on your lap and it's funny. That's where I get the energy from."
Where to find Santa Galen
Santa Galen will be presiding over two Black Santa events hosted by The Voice of Black Cincinnati.
Black Santa at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center
Sunday, Dec. 7 from 12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
50 East Freedom Way, Cincinnati, OH 45202
Black Santa at the Cincinnati Art Museum
Thursday, Dec. 18 from 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
953 Eden Park Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45202
Both events are free, with photos and activities available on a first-come, first-served basis. There's one photo per adult in the group, and parents or guardians must sign a media release form or provide proof of foster care.
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