Santa shortage in northern Illinois comes as more step away from profession over health, security concerns
Downtown Crystal Lake has more than a dozen Santa Claus meet-and-greets to staff this holiday season, but so far is struggling to fill the shifts.T...
Downtown Crystal Lake has more than a dozen Santa Claus meet-and-greets to staff this holiday season, but so far is struggling to fill the shifts.To help fix the problem, the nonprofit hired a Santa Claus broker, but when that was too expensive for their budget, officials started approaching men in public who could pass as Santa, Executive Director Lynn Reckamp said.'It's like a bad Hallmark movie,' Reckamp said. 'It's been a challenge.'A nationwide Santa Claus shortage has found its way to northern Illinois, and some organizations across the area are having difficulty staffing their event schedules that include visits from Saint Nick.