GA Santa Raises Money, Donates Toys Every Year During Christmas

CHEROKEE COUNTY, GA — Every winter, Tim Cavender hangs up his firefighter’s helmet and trades it in for something a little more festive and seasonal.

For decades, Cavender, who is the director of public affairs for the Cherokee County Fire & Emergency Services, has used his spare time to make the holidays brighter for children when he portrays Santa.

His journey to bring Santa to life began when he was a sophomore at Cherokee High School. Cavender was asked to portray Santa, but turned it down. But after a few days of being begged, he decided to give it a try.

“I remember what I was thinking at the time, and I just felt the students were going to make fun of me and it was going to be an awful experience,” Cavender told Patch. “Fortunately, the students became like children and they were asking Santa for candy and shouting at him gleefully. I was amazed and it was the start of a new career.”

He has spoken with thousands of children across metro Atlanta over the years, but what one 4-year-old girl asked for still sticks with Cavender.

“I had a little 4-year-old girl that sat on my lap and told me that she wanted her daddy for Christmas,” he said. “At the time, her father was a soldier based in Afghanistan. I told her that her father was over there for a very important job and that he missed her very much.”

After talking with the girl, Cavender spoke to his Mrs. Claus, portrayed by his own wife, Pam, who said the father of the girl was coming back home before Christmas and she did not know it.

“I asked her mother if I could make the delivery of her dad to her when he came home,” Cavender said. “I made arrangements for a couple of Atlanta TV stations to cover it and the next morning, the story went national and appeared on CNN.”

That moment may have been one of the most memorable for Cavender, but he said he truly loves children and creating the magic of Christmas for them, too.

“I will also tell you that I am not a replacement for the Christ child,” he said. “I am a follower who loves to create a ‘sense of wonder’ for children of all ages.”

His coworkers at Cherokee County Fire & Emergency Services are supportive of Cavender, and work with him on gathering toys for Toys for Tots to be given to children in need.

This year, Cavender donated $3,550 to the program and 16 boxes of toys he collected during his annual March of the Toys Parade in Ball Ground.

“I was totally amazed at the huge crowd and the donations that we received at our parade this year,” he said. “Helping less fortunate children to have a Merry Christmas is what this season is all about.”

He also credits his wife for some of his success.

“My wife has been a tremendous help to my look,” he said. “She is a certified image consultant and she has been there to improve my look and portrayal. Plus, she is the prettiest Mrs. Claus that you will ever meet.”

In 2014, Cavender was named the 41st Santa to be inducted into the International Santa Claus Hall of Fame. He was one of six to be inducted that year, alongside Haddon Sunbloom, who did the painting of Santa for Coca-Cola, who was inducted that year.

To find out more about Santa Tim, visit his Facebook page.