CULTURE/SOCIETY: Businessman Starts Santa Claus Hotline after Phone Number Mix-Up

I found this article from the KSBY 6 Action News website in a rather round-about way. I was checking the searches that brought up my site - you can do this with SiteMeter. And this story and my post came up with the search, "1-800-SANTA CLAUS". I thought it was a sweet and good story for Christmas time. :) - OlderMusicGeek

Goleta businessman starts his own Santa Claus hotline after a phone number mix-up

Posted: Dec 7, 2007 08:24 PM
Friday, December 7, 2007
Reported by: Leana Orsua
GOLETA

They thought they were calling Santa Claus, but got a south coast businessman instead.

It's all because the phone numbers "1-800-Santa Claus" and "1-800-Santa Barbara" are only one digit apart.

1-800-Santa Barbara is a visitor information hotline run by John Dickson of Goleta. Last year he was flooded with calls from kids who thought they dialed 1-800-Santa Claus.

Now Dickson is making the most of this merry mix-up.

They were the Christmas calls that kept John Dickson up at night last year.

"But this Christmas Season, kids who misdial 1-800-Santa Claus and reach 1-800-Santa Barbara will be greeted by old Saint Nick.

"I ended up talking to these kids pretty much morning to night for about a whole week just on my own and sat right about here listening to kids all day," recalls Dickson.

Last year he fielded hundreds of Christmas wishes that were supposed to go to the North Pole. But this year there won't be any accidents. He is setting up an official Santa phone center, equipped with Santa, Mrs. Claus and a host of volunteer helpers.

"If you can talk on the phone and have a good heart with children, that's enough," says Dickson.

The call center will be set up here at the Montecito Bank and Trust on State Street. Santa and Mrs. Claus will answer five phone lines, 12 hours each day.

Melissa Mceacheron, who works at the bank will be one of Santa's helpers, "We just thought it was such a nice thing that he was doing for all the kids around the world," she said.

As Dickson gets his helpers ready, he takes a moment to reflect on the rush that's to come. "It was like a slow tidal wave that moved in, a tidal wave of good cheer."

The Santa Call Center will be up and running on December 17. It will run for one week ending on Christmas Eve.

Last year John took in 973 calls, this year he expects to get in the thousands.

That number again, is 1 (800) Santa Barbara.

A link to the original KSBY 6 Action News article

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