Santa from
SANTA'S VILLAGE

It all started in 1966 at the age of four in Havana, Illinois when Phillip asked his mother to help him make a Santa Claus Outfit. They took an old red flannel shirt of his father to use as a coat, a pair of red pajamas, black goulashes, and a white handkerchief safety pinned to a Santa hat as whiskers.

Later that day, Phillip used a pillow case as a toy sack filled with candy canes and snuck out of the house to visit neighbors. Crossing the street he approached the home of a family friend and entered the house to their surprise. Taking it all in stride, they were happy to have a visit from "Santa". Then immediately phoned his mother.

The four year old made numerous visits that Christmas to friends and family. His father, who was a hospital administrator, allowed him to visit the hospital and pass out greetings to patients. That tradition continued until 1988 when his father retired.

The next year his father took over a new hospital in Watseka, Illinois. Phillip entered school that year and started a string of classroom parties that stretched to his high school graduation in 1981. By the fifth grade he was asked to do pre-schools and area nursing homes. His reputation as Santa had grown by the time he entered high school in 1977. The Watseka Area Chamber of Commerce asked if he would be interested in doing their Santa house promotion in downtown. At the age of fourteen he was in his first parade and for the next eight years he played Santa for the chamber.

Shortly after leaving college in 1985, Phillip was hired by Instant Photo Corporation of America in Deerfield, Illinois. His job was to train Santas and set up holiday promotions in the Chicago area. One of Instant Photo’s accounts in 1986 was Santa’s Village theme park in Dundee, Illinois. This was the start of his year round Santa career. Working major department stores, corporate events, and shopping malls he added valuable experience to his character development. By 1989 he was well known in the Chicago market and returned with his own company to Santa's Village as their resident year round Santa.

Phillip went on to a career that includes nationally televised parades, commercials, appearances in some of the nation's largest markets and being a published author.