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SALT LAKE CITY — They call him “Steampunk” Santa. This year, Salt Lake City resident Fred Lane is trading in the traditional Santa garb for a more industrial look.
This holiday season he has gone to dozens of events as Jolly Old St. Nick. The one he is most looking forward to is Soul Food USA’s Chilifest on Sunday, Dec. 18.
To prepare for the event, Lane collected nearly 500 teddy bears to hand out to homeless children who will be attending. The only problem, most of the donated stuffed animals look exactly the same.
“That might not work. Imagine a child getting the same bear as another one at the shelter,” Lane said. “They could fight over it or even get them mixed up.”
A group of volunteers decided to customize the bears by sewing on bows and cutting out scarves and hats from donated material.
“We’re trying to make each of them have a different design so that the kids can have their personal bear,” volunteer Molly Newell said.
Newell made each of the plush toys she worked on Wednesday night unique by thinking of its recipient.
“I imagine the face of the children when they are going to get it, you know,” Newell said. “It might be one of the only bears they have.”
Lane, who volunteers at many of Salt Lake’s downtown shelters, said organizing an effort like this was the least he could do.
“I often think, ‘what did they do to get here?’ They were just unlucky,” Lane said. “They deserve better and they deserve more, and we have a community that I think can give them that.”
Lane expects around 250 children to show up at the Chilifest. He said he would donate the rest of the bears to other shelters around the valley and to refugees.
