There is a lot of Secret Santa’s running around this year but also some not-so-secret.
(This photo by Jacob Windham is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 License )
If you remember, famous secret Santa Larry Stewart died almost two years ago, but not before giving out an estimated $1.3 million dollars. He used to give out $100 bills on the streets of Kansas City to anyone who looked like they needed it. Ill and knowing his end was near, Stewart told a friend how much he would miss his anonymous giveaways.
The friend, whose name has not been revealed, promised Stewart he would take up his cause and has become known as the Kansas City Santa. However, this year, he decided to take the show on the road to St. Louis with a female helper.
While Theresa Settles was picking out a comforter to keep her warm until she could have her gas turned back on. A small woman with sunglasses and a winter scarf around her face approached her. Now, call my cynical, but I would think she was a terrorist or a robber if I couldn’t see her face, but it turned out to be Settles lucky day – the woman handed her two $100 bills that real “secret Santa.”
The only condition of the monetary gift was that Settles had to do something nice of someone. It is estimated that the two secret Santas gave out $20,000 worth of $100 bills as well as words of encouragement and hugs.
Who is the not-so-secret Santa? None other than Tom Cruise and his wife Katie Holmes. The two were spotted shopping at FAO Schwarz in New York City, not for their children, but for those in need.
The Cruises were buying dolls, games, books, and other toys to donate to Stockings with Care. Stockings with Care, founded in 1992, is a non-profit organization that like the Marine’s program, Toys for Tots, gives the gifts to the needy children of homeless and nearly homeless families.