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Caroling Santa elves tap diners' goodwill

By ERNEST HOOPER
Published December 15, 2006

Dressed as Santa's elves, members of Brandon's Kiwanis Club took to the streets, caroling at restaurants and collecting donations for its youth programs.

If the approach sounds a little outrageous, that's because it's a tad off-the-wall. I know, because I got roped into joining the singing brigade last week. Different? Sure, but it's also another indication of how Brandon has retained its sense of community even though its population has ballooned.

The small but energetic group put together by Kiwanis president Dustie Amatangelo included members James Young, Bethany Elliott and Lynn Langowski. There also were three Riverview High students: Amatangelo's daughter Maria, Langowski.'s son Patrick Shea, and family friend Lindsey Shupe.

Admittedly, my mood was sheepish in the beginning. My plan involved watching others turn themselves into spectacles, not becoming one myself. Yet it didn't take long to get caught up in the holiday spirit.

Needless to say, the kids often proved most effective in gathering donations, while the adults were best at fracturing Christmas favorites. Jingle Bells seldom jingled, and we gave up on Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree after one try.

Truth be told, I think the few donations I received came from folks who wanted me to stop singing. Diners smiled and cheered, not bothered at all about having their meal interrupted. You would be amazed at how much warmth a bunch of crazy people walking around in Santa costumes can generate.

"I stopped to tie a little boy's shoe and he said, 'Hold on, Santa's helper is tying my shoe,' " Langowski beamed. "That's why I keep doing this. You can't beat that."

Of course, what we may have lacked in singing talent, we made up for in good cheer. Young, owner of the Golden Corral restaurant and a former honorary mayor of Brandon, proved adept at cajoling donations out of patrons without singing. When put on the spot, however, he did a masterful rendition of Elvis' Blue Christmas at Applebee's.

"You can never give enough when you're as blessed as we are," Young said, summing up the night's mood.

When it came to getting people to pull out their wallets, no one could top Shea. I'm convinced he has a future as a political fundraiser.

He was unabashed in asking people to pony up. Instead of explaining that the donations would go to help programs such as Kiwanis' Terrific Kids, he simply said, "We need money to help little kids."

Shea even crashed a meeting at the banquet room in O'Brien's. I thought for sure they would throw him out on his ear. Turns out it was a sympathetic group of teachers from Eisenhower Middle School.

He cleaned up.

As the night went on, either our singing improved or my hearing grew weaker. We drew raves from a group of women at the Brandon Ale House, the guitarist at Fox & Hounds joined in with us and a guy at Chianti's actually said I had a good voice.

Maybe he had a little too much to drink.

Unfortunately, we couldn't oblige everyone. The young studs at O'Toole's wanted to hear something from Blink 182, and I could only manage a few lines from All The Small Things. And my version of Jingle Bell Rock didn't exactly draw a standing ovation at O'Brien's, although a few people did stand up and leave.

In the end, we went to nine restaurants or bars and raised more than $1,000 in three hours. At every place there was at least one person we knew, including a generous Brandon High wrestling coach Russ Cozart at the original Beef O' Brady's.

As one person said, Brandon is the biggest little town in the world.

Where else would you want to go caroling through the night?

That's all I'm saying.

Ernest Hooper also writes a column for the Tampa & State Edition of the St. Petersburg Times. He can be reached at 226-3406 or hooper@sptimes.com.

[Last modified December 14, 2006, 07:21:03]