Bruce Cooper
Fallon, Nev.
I have a full-time job at a hospital in Fallon but on weekends I play Santa.
My first experience as Santa was when I was about 22 in a strip mall in Virginia. The guy who was working couldn't do it, so of course, they looked to the chubby kid to fill the spot. Back then, I worked with a fake beard. Now, I'm 57 and I have the real thing.
I sometimes do it for money, but I also do a lot of volunteer things too. I schedule home visits to see kids, and I'll do a breakfast with Santa fundraiser, work with Toys for Tots, and help out the local Parks and Recreation department.
I take the job very seriously. I have insurance, I get a background check every year, I travel a lot and I get the suits cleaned regularly. At the end of the year, I probably break even.
NEXT
