Santa Claus Gets an Award
Santa Kennedy and Elf
Donald Kennedy has had a long and varied career, including: many years as a casino marketing executive; a radio and TV broadcaster and print editor/publisher; a city editor and sports editor for the Henderson Home News and Boulder City News; reporter for the Pahrump Valley Times; editor of Vegarama, Las Vegas Top Spots and Las Vegas Pizazz magazine; publisher/editor of Going Places/Southwest Traveler magazine; and feature writer for Valley Electric’s Ruralite magazine.
And that just some of his accomplishments.
His passion, however, has been serving as a volunteer Santa Claus every December for the past 25 years for hospitals, shelters, military bases, boys & girls clubs, churches, schools and more. Wherever he was needed, that’s where he went, to give back, he says, to those in need.
Over the years, Kennedy heard a lot from the kids he talked to, so it will come as no surprise that, as a writer, he eventually began to write it down. Kennedy has published two books about what kids have said to him when he’s wearing his Santa Claus outfit: Kids Say the Darndest Things to Santa Claus, in 2019, and Kids Say the Darndest Things to Santa Claus, (Volume 2), published in 2020.
Since they were published, Kennedy has won some awards for his books. The most recent award came this year, when Kennedy won a Book Excellence Award for Volume 2, which is subtitled 25 Years of Santa Stories. Here’s what the award looks like:
One reader said: “I was hooked by the first chapter, ‘The Military’, and in tears over the boy who ‘didn't talk about Daddy cos it made Mommy cry’. Shocked by ‘Shelters’ and the security surrounding them - even Santa isn't told their location until he arrives accompanied by the staff! There is laugh-aloud comedy too. In ‘Young Love’ Santa is asked to marry two six-year-olds ‘before our mommies get back’. ‘Siblings’ features rivalry, including a girl who begs a ride on the sleigh for her brother, so Santa can dump him on Mars. Every reader will have their favorites. Kids Say the Darndest Things to Santa Claus: 25 Years of Santa Stories by Don Kennedy is a winner that would make a super Christmas gift.”
So, congratulations, Don Kennedy – or should we say Santa Claus – on a job well done and rightfully acknowledged.
Don Kennedy lives in Makaha Valley on Oahu. He has been a member of Hawaii Writers Guild since March 2020.
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And that just some of his accomplishments.
His passion, however, has been serving as a volunteer Santa Claus every December for the past 25 years for hospitals, shelters, military bases, boys & girls clubs, churches, schools and more. Wherever he was needed, that’s where he went, to give back, he says, to those in need.
Over the years, Kennedy heard a lot from the kids he talked to, so it will come as no surprise that, as a writer, he eventually began to write it down. Kennedy has published two books about what kids have said to him when he’s wearing his Santa Claus outfit: Kids Say the Darndest Things to Santa Claus, in 2019, and Kids Say the Darndest Things to Santa Claus, (Volume 2), published in 2020.
Since they were published, Kennedy has won some awards for his books. The most recent award came this year, when Kennedy won a Book Excellence Award for Volume 2, which is subtitled 25 Years of Santa Stories. Here’s what the award looks like:
One reader said: “I was hooked by the first chapter, ‘The Military’, and in tears over the boy who ‘didn't talk about Daddy cos it made Mommy cry’. Shocked by ‘Shelters’ and the security surrounding them - even Santa isn't told their location until he arrives accompanied by the staff! There is laugh-aloud comedy too. In ‘Young Love’ Santa is asked to marry two six-year-olds ‘before our mommies get back’. ‘Siblings’ features rivalry, including a girl who begs a ride on the sleigh for her brother, so Santa can dump him on Mars. Every reader will have their favorites. Kids Say the Darndest Things to Santa Claus: 25 Years of Santa Stories by Don Kennedy is a winner that would make a super Christmas gift.”
So, congratulations, Don Kennedy – or should we say Santa Claus – on a job well done and rightfully acknowledged.
Don Kennedy lives in Makaha Valley on Oahu. He has been a member of Hawaii Writers Guild since March 2020.
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