A Q & A with two of Santa ’ s official hand-picked helpers
Santa LIFE D WORDS BY TRAVIS HAIRGROVE
A Q & A with two of Santa ’ s official hand-picked helpers
Bill Salamon
Terry Driggers
Christmas is often described as a “ magical time for children ” and in a lot of cultures across the world , writing letters to Santa Claus and anticipating what gifts he ’ ll bring on Christmas Eve are beloved components of the season ’ s magic . But with Santa being so busy this time of year , he often relies heavily on hand-picked helpers to visit with little ones about what they want and then relay the message to him .
Two of the longest- and hardest-working Santa ’ s helpers in Hunt County who have donned the red suit in his stead are actor / director Bill Salamon and real estate agent / auctioneer / active community member Terry Driggers . Recently , Greenville Life magazine caught up with the two of them to get some insight into what it ’ s like standing in for the famous man in red .
Q : that you think is important to children if you ’ re
Greenville Life : What is a personal quality that you think is key in playing Santa or something
going to portray Santa ?
Terry Driggers : “ It ’ s all in the magic . As Santa , you have to be ramped up and talkative . The kids have to see and hear the magic .”
Bill Salamon : “ Well , you certainly need to do your best to look like the Santa children have seen in books , television and the media . However , to take on the persona as an official helper , a person should also sound like and have certain mannerisms that make him believable to the children . I ’ ve had an advantage over a lot of Santa ’ s helpers because I ’ ve been an actor and director on the stage for most of my life . I like to be as real as I can .”
Q : you have to continue playing the role regardless
GL : Standing in for Santa is challenging because unlike acting in a play , there is no script so
of what happens . What is a story you could share about a time when you really had to work hard at staying in character when something unexpected happened ?
TD : “ In 34 years , lots of things have happened where I had to suck it in and hold the character of Santa . I have see children in their dying days and also very sick children . I have fought back many tears . I had a child have a seizure in my lap and I had to go to the floor with that child to prevent them from being hurt . Even with all that going on , I never broke character due to all the kids around .”
GREENVILLE LIFE 22 HOLIDAY 2024