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'Santa on a Scooter' is on a mission to spread holiday cheer
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LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY) -- Santa on a Scooter has been riding along roads in Lafayette for seven years.
The Lafayette man said he does it just to make people smile. He expanded his ride to other cities in Louisiana for the first time.
"This year, I have branched out," Santa said. "I have been to Alexandria, Shreveport, Baton Rouge and New Orleans."
Santa said he made the decision to spread more Christmas cheer this year after being hit in a hit and run while on his scooter last year. The incident left him in the hospital.
While News 10 was interviewing him, Barbara Williams spotted Santa on a Scooter.
She said her grandson was unable to receive many gifts last year, and she told him it was because Santa was in the hospital.
"He was so hurt, and we told him that he couldn't have anything for Christmas, but one gift," Williams said. "We only could give him whatever Santa Claus had in the bag, and it was a pair of socks."
Williams said her grandson called the hospital to check on Santa.
"He was calling the hospital," Williams said. "And his mom's like, 'Bentley, they're not going to give you any information on a patient in.'"
"'Well, yes, they got to tell all the kids about Santa,'" she recalls Bentley saying.
Her grandson even had her bake cookies to deliver to Santa while he was in the hospital. She said her grandson has been asking recently if Santa would be able to pass again, so she took a photo with Santa to show him that he was out of the hospital.
Santa said he delivers gifts to Lafayette families in need.
"That started actually on my second year. I was in the Dollar Tree, and I accused of stealing," Santa said.
He said since he was wrongfully accused, the district manager gave him a peace offering.
"They offered me either a $1,000 gift card or $1,000 worth of toys," Santa said. "So, I figured I was Santa Claus- I would take the thousand dollars' worth of toys, and that's when I started fundraising."
Santa will be riding his scooter around Lafayette until Christmas Eve, when he delivers gifts to local families.