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...

December 6, 2022
5:10 PM

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.

James Norman