SEATTLE — The coronavirus pandemic has changed just about everything this year, including how Black Santa goes about greeting the community.
On Saturday, families came to the Rainier Beach Community Center in Seattle for drive-thru photos with Black Santa. St. Nick wore a face mask and had a piece of protective glass between him and the kids.
"They'll get to take photos with Santa Claus, the Black Santa. So, they'll do that first, they'll come over to us and get wrapped presents," said Leonard Hicks, one of the event organizers.
"Every year we give out to the community to try to give back," Hicks said.
2020 marks 10 years that Black Santa has been a fixture within Seattle’s Black community. Hicks said the impact this event brings is worth what it takes for them to adapt during the pandemic.
"We do this out of the grace of God," he said.
One youth at the event, named Prince, said he’s thankful to help those within his community.
"I'm out here, giving my time to kids and stuff. And you know, making sure they alright for Christmas," he said.
Hicks said having the youth serve other youths helps build character.
"It's a way for our our youth to give back themselves. It's really teaching them how to think outside of the box and allow them to help others," Hicks said.
Want to visit Black Santa? Check out his Instagram page here.