Estimated read time: 5-6 minutes
SPANISH FORK — Very few people in this world can say they grew up to be exactly who they wanted to be when they were a kid, but Spencer Evans is living his childhood dream of being Santa Claus.
Evans, who also doubles as a special education teacher at Payson Jr. High School, said he vividly remembers wanting to become the famed bearded man in red who made children smile.
"I was a Christmas baby, and the day my parents brought me home from the hospital they dressed me as Santa Claus," the Spanish Fork resident said. "I still have those pictures to this day, and there I am with a Santa hat, Santa outfit — no beard, of course.
"I also have these great memories of going to my grandparents' house every year when I was younger, where we would put on a play to show our talents. My talent was to be Santa Claus. I would dress up as Santa Claus and I would glue little cotton balls on a piece of paper and put on a little fake beard every year and dress up in red with a belt. Part of me has said that I've always been Santa Claus."
Evans' older sister, Nichole Van, verified this phenomenon, saying her brother has long been in the running for the lead role of the big man up north.
"Spencer's the youngest — there's me and then three boys, and he's the youngest of the three boys — and they were always fighting to see who got to dress up with Santa," Van recalled. "Spencer definitely continued on with the tradition long after his older brothers kind of gave up on it."
Evans acknowledged there was a bit of a competition among him and his brothers over who would be Santa each year but said it was all in fun. In fact, he admitted, perhaps his longing to become the lead elf was likely due to his desire to be like his oldest brother.
"When I was a youngster, my eldest brother, Kurt, was my hero," Evans said. "I followed his every move for better or worse — even to the extent that when he dressed up as Santa, I had to be Santa too. Kurt was trying to emulate being Santa, but I was trying to emulate being Kurt."
As the years went on, Evans put his dream of becoming Santa on the back burner, but his desire to be like his older brother remained intact.
In 2012, however, Kurt Evans died tragically in a car accident, leaving a hole in the lives of many — especially during the holidays.
"While (Kurt's) role at family Christmas parties transitioned from playing Santa to playing the guitar as the family sang Christmas carols around the tree, he was always the highlight of the party and brought everyone to tears," Evans said. "Without Kurt, Christmas has never been the same."
Becoming Santa
A few years after losing his older brother, Evans said he was talking to a friend of his who played the role of Santa during the holidays, and it sparked something in him that had been there all along.
"I was sitting there one day talking to my neighbor who worked as Santa during the Holidays and was a very good Santa — you know, big beard and all. I asked him why he did Santa Claus," Evans recalled. "He told me that he didn't do it for money but said that there was no greater reward than to see the smile on the kids' faces. That's what sold it for me."
So, at the age of 38, Evans assumed his role as Santa Claus and hasn't looked back. Unlike the cotton and paper beards he donned as a child, his beard now is the real deal. More than his appearance, Evans said he finds happiness in the chance he has been given to bring joy to the children he comes in contact with, and the opportunity to be able to give back to the community.
"Name another job where you are in a situation where you have a kid's full attention and they will wait in line for an hour just to talk to you," Evans said. "There is nothing else like it."
He appears as Santa throughout the year at events, but mostly during the holiday season. He frequents schools, community events and the occasional holiday party. He said there was a time when a friend of his asked him to do a birthday party a few days before Christmas for the friend's son. While there, Evans said he encountered an adult with special needs who showed him yet another reason why he does what he does — both during the holidays and as a special educator.
"The party was supposed to be for a bunch of 8-year-olds, but unbeknownst to me, my friend had his disabled nephew there who was about 25 or 30 years old," Evans recalled. "He was lower functioning, and the joy that it put on his face was exciting as anything. He just lost it. He was screaming at the top of his lungs. It was really a special experience where I realized, 'Hey, this is who really needs it.'"
Becoming the Santa Kurt would have been
Now that Evans has realized his childhood dream of becoming Santa, his thoughts aren't far from his late older brother, and he said he hopes to make him proud. He does this by donating all the proceeds he makes from his many Santa appearances to people in need — often bringing along his own children in his Sub-for-Santa efforts.
"The loss of Kurt has left a huge hole in the hearts of many that still needs to be filled, and the best way to do that is by giving back to those who have lost a loved one or have special needs during the holiday season," Evans said. "Every year I donate all the proceeds from doing Santa because that is what Kurt would have done.
"Without Kurt, chances are I would have never donned the red suit and witnessed the joy it brings to others," he continued. "Kurt inspired me and opened my eyes to the world of doing for others because he did the hardest thing of all and that was letting his little brother mimic his every move."
