“Santa Scott” and Debbie Ingland.
(Photo courtesy of Jenn Mendoza, and used with permission.)
When you were a kid, did you ever wonder what Santa did in July?
There’s a preschooler in Orange County who knows the answer.
Scott Ingland, or “Santa Scott” of Garden Grove, looks very much like Kris Kringle. So much so, in fact, that being “Santa” has become a vocation for him and his wife Debbie. For the past two years, they’ve been making appearances at Christmas events as “Mr. and Mrs. Claus”. Debbie was kind enough to share the following story:
On Wednesday, July 31, Scott had some errands to do. As he made the rounds in Garden Grove and headed for Santa Ana, he noticed a man following him.
Getting out of his car, the man approached Scott, and asked, “Sir, may I talk to you?”
“Sure,” Scott responded.
The man then referenced the sign on Scott’s car, advertising his services as “a real bearded Santa in the OC area”, and asked for his help.
(Photo courtesy of Jenn Mendoza, and used with permission.)
Debbie says the man told Scott, “I see you are Santa. My little boy has been really bad lately, even at preschool. I got a report today that he has been out of control. We are at our wits’ end, so when I saw your advertisement for Santa, I thought I’d try that.”
What would Santa do here? Well, Scott walked over to the family’s car and greeted the small boy.
Debbie says, “The little guy’s eyes were like saucers. He took a big gulp and said, “SANTA, WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?”
Scott then told him, “Well, Bobby, I come in from the North Pole every now and then to check on boys and girls. Have you been good?”
“Well…I have tried to be…kinda good.”
Santa Scott talked with Bobby for awhile. Before he left, Bobby promised to be on his best behavior. Debbie quotes him as saying, “I just can’t believe it, I never thought I would be able to see SANTA, but I really got to talk to him.”
Debbie says her husband found the experience a very moving one, and the father, teary-eyed, thanked Scott and said, “I think this made a big difference for my son.”
Bobby had just said, “‘Bye Santa. I love you.”
If you need a Santa for your Christmas party, church event or family celebration, Scott and Debbie Ingland can be contacted at santascottintheoc@gmail.com, or inglandsweets55@gmail.com. Huge thanks to Debbie for this fantastic “Christmas in July” story!