Santa Claus may come down the a lot of chimneys but in Florida he appears along the roadside. His car is stuffed with toys,and kids are invited to stop and take their pick.
Santa, a.k.a. John Laudicina, is a 74-year-old retiree who tells kids he's one of Santa's helpers....which he is. He gathers boxes of toys all year long and gives them away during the holidays.
The kids tumble out of cars to pick through the boxes of toys and hundreds of stuffed animals. There are candy canes and other goodies as well. At first people thought I was selling something," he recalls. "I had to explain that it's all free."
Laudicina has been making roadside Santa appearances for more than a decade. "I started out wearing red pajamas and going around the neighborhood giving away toys," he says."But I finally put together my Santa suit, including a thick leather belt I made myself."
He wears a thick, white beard and big, black boots that are also his handiwork. Why does Laudicina do it? He loves kids and they seem to love him.
Six year old Kiarra Young had been afraid of the Santa Claus in the mall, but when she saw Laudicina byt the highway, she tugged on her mother to stop. "I want to hug him," Kiarra told her mother. She picked out a fluffy, white dog and skipped away happily.