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Home For The Holidays” November 21, 2012 A Lincoln Daily News Magazine Copyright 2012
The presence of Santa in Lincoln
T
he holiday season is upon us once again.
Children wonder in awe whether or not
Santa Claus will come to their home on
Christmas Eve; if he will be there to eat their
cookies and to leave a pile of presents u n -
der the tree and treats in their stock-
ings. These children believe in Santa
and that he lives at the North Pole.
But the children do not know that
Santa has representatives who may be
closer than they think. Theymay not realize
that if one looks hard enough, Santa has a
presence right here in Lincoln, Ill.
Furthermore, if they’re lucky, and
their parents know where to look, those
children in Lincoln may be able to see
Santa before Christmas has come.
While the children may not understand
completely, parents know how important
Santa is and that a visit from him can
change young lives.
Lincoln has more than one emissary of
the jolly old saint, and those representatives
schedule visits during the holiday season.
They want to see children who may have been
extraordinarily good this year, or get a little
face time with those little urchins who may
need some minding of their manners.
One of those representatives goes by Mikel
Frost, like frost at the cold, cold North Pole, or
Jack Frost on the window panes at Christmas.
Anyway, Frost is a resident of Lincoln. He is
also a graduate of the recently implemented
four-year theater degree program at Lincoln
College. But his acting capabilities are not
the only reason he performs this service
for the community.
“
This was a personal decision
I made,” said Frost, who will be
reprising his role as Santa for the third
consecutive year. Frost owns his Santa
suit, which he acquired after providing
services for the Jaycees in 2010.
In 2011, Frost decided to continue
the venture on his own. He says his
inspiration for this came from his great-
grandfather Zimmerman, as well as his
own experiences in childhood.
“
When I was a kid, Santa would
stop by at Grandma’s house at Christmas. I
remember the excitement and the joy. I wanted
to see that continue for the next generation,”
said Frost, who says he has enjoyed providing
this experience for children in the area.
Frost now pays visits as Santa to his
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