RICHMOND, Va. -- If you're not into Black Friday shopping and need help finding a unique gift to give this Christmas, a Richmond father is here to help.
When David Wingfield found himself out of work during the COVID-19 pandemic, he leaned into one of his skills and create a side business that not only helped his family celebrate the holidays but also brought smiles to the faces of children and adults around the region.
Wingfield mails handwritten letters from Santa to the person or people of your choosing. CBS 6 caught up with Wingfield, err, Santa, to talk about the Christmas gift.
CBS 6: What prompted you to offer Santa letter-writing services?
Wingfield: Every year, between Thanksgiving and New Year’s, I also celebrate my daughter’s birthday, my wife’s birthday, Christmas, and our wedding anniversary.
As you can probably imagine, it’s a very expensive time of year!
Unfortunately, I was out of work [last year], so I was just brainstorming ideas and I knew that one thing that I could do is write.
I’ve written a few articles for magazines, and pre-pandemic I had been a joke writer for various comedians.
So I put it out on social media that I would write anything for anyone for $5.
I had a few requests for various things, poems and essays and, of course, jokes, but when a friend asked if “Santa” would write a letter to their kids, that was the light-bulb moment.
Where do you think a handwritten Santa letter fits into a society where many people want the latest, greatest, fastest, most expensive gift?
It’s a personalized, handwritten letter from arguably the most iconic figure of many childhoods. Some things are just timeless.
After all this time, kids still write to Santa, so why shouldn’t he write back?
What makes this gift so special?
For someone who’s the right age, it can be a really cool thing to receive.
Besides, when I was a kid, all the mail that came to the house was usually for somebody else.
So I think on some level getting a letter addressed to them in the mail lets kids know that they are heard, which can be pretty important.
How was the reception last Christmas? What kind of feedback did you receive?
The feedback was amazing. So many parents (and aunts, uncles, and friends) reached out to tell me how much it meant to the kids, which just makes it so much better.
There were some for bigger kids who had given up believing, but the letters, with the personal info, had put them back into the “maybe…just maybe” category!
I like that I can contribute to someone’s Christmas, even if they don’t know it’s me.
Is there anything else you'd like the people to know about you and/or the Santa letters?
Santa will write letters to adults. that seems to be the biggest one.
By the way, if you haven’t noticed, I rarely say that I write the letters. I always say that “Santa” writes the letters, I'm just the facilitator.
I don’t really know why. I guess in some way I just like to keep that magic alive.
Those interested in ordering a Santa letter can email David at davidcwingfield@gmail.com. The fee is $15 for one letter and $25 for two.
Note from Santa: Please send the name, age, and mailing address of the recipient. Include some of their favorite things, some things they may need to work on, and what they’d like for Christmas. Also, tell me anything else you’d like Santa to tell them. Keep in mind, these letters are only a few sentences long.
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