After 50 years as Santa Claus, Butch Plikerd is hanging up his Santa suit (his fourth). A special open house celebrating his half century of service will be held from 1-5 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 1, at Brooke Pointe Inn. File photo.

By Lauren Zeugner
InkFreeNews

SYRACUSE — Most of us know Santa Claus has lots of helpers during the Christmas season. This year, one of Santa’s most dedicated and special helpers is hanging up his red suit after 50 years of service.

A special open house will be held for Butch Plikerd from 1-5 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 1, at Brooke Pointe Inn, 4906 E. CR 1200N, Syracuse, to thank him for his service to the community.

Plikerd, who was the Santa at Concord Mall in Elkhart for many years, first put the red suit on after taking a niece to see Santa.

“He (the man portraying Santa) was skinny and grouchy. I called the person in charge (of hiring) to complain and said if I couldn’t do a better job than that, I’d quit,” Plikerd told Deb Peterson, a Goshen News correspondent, in an interview years ago.

The next year, the person responsible for hiring Santa Claus for the town of Syracuse called Plikerd. He’s been helping Santa Claus every since. He was the official town Santa for Syracuse for many years and has also attended numerous church parties, school parties and private parties. He’s donned four suits over the years as one of Santa’s helpers.

In 2010, Plikerd told Amanda McFarland, a Mail-Journal reporter, in an interview, he’s heard all sorts of requests for children, from the toys, iPads and video games to requests, such as food, which broke his heart.

“I don’t mean just snacks,” Plikerd told McFarland. “He wanted food for his family.”

Another little girl asked Santa to bring her daddy, who was serving in the military, back home to her for Christmas.

Plikerd has been filling in for Santa as far away as Goshen, Elkhart and Middiebury. He’s donned the red suit for nursing home residents, high school athletes as well of children of all ages.

In 2015, Concord Mall sponsored Plikerd and Judy Roberts, who along with her husband, Bruce, took the photos of the children with Santa, as they attended the Charles W. Howard Santa Claus School, located in Midland, Mich. Held once a year over three days in October, it is the longest-running Santa Claus school.

In an interview, Plikerd said he saw an ad for the Santa school and liked its motto.

“That’s one of the things that lead me to attend,” he told Sherry Van Arsdall, a writer for Elkhart County Living, in 2016. The motto — “He errs who thinks Santa enters through the chimney. Santa enters though the heart.”

For many years, Butch Plikerd was Santa at Concord Mall. Many children thought he was “the real” Santa. Photo by Bruce Roberts.

While attending Santa school, Plikerd and Roberts covered such topics as the handling of children, getting the parents involved, giving the children adequate time with Santa as well as insurance and Santa’s makeup and beard care.

As the Santa at Concord Mall for many years, Plikerd met with thousands of children, and to some parents, he made a lasting impression. One parent wrote to mall management “…My son, Gavin, who has PVL (periventricular leukomalacia, a type of brain injury common in very premature babies) along with my older daughter and granddaughter… attended your sensitive Santa. During this visit, you showed us this is not just a job to you guys. You showed these kids the love of Santa. Even during your mall hours, you do not rush the children along; you treat each child as if they were the only one there.”

Another wrote how her daughter, Lilly, was convinced Plikerd was the real Santa.

“We were at a different mall this weekend and Lilly wanted to go see Santa. When we got close enough to see him, she didn’t even want to get in line. She said, “that’s just one of his helpers. I will wait until I get to see the real Santa (referring to Pllkerd.)”

Shown is Butch Plikerd as Santa greeting children as they wait in line to attend a movie at Pickwick Theater when he was the official town Santa for the town of Syracuse. Photo provided by Jackie Plikerd.