Couple A True Claus To Believe In

By YVETTE C. HAMMETT The Tampa Tribune

Published: Dec 8, 2007

BLOOMINGDALE - How do you know when you meet the real deal?

When they know your sister's name and which vegetables you haven't been eating.

There's no question for youngsters attending the Bloomingdale Homeowners Association Christmas Party each year. They know they get the real deal. Mr. And Mrs. Claus, in their matching red velvet suits, call out their names and have all kinds of information only the real St. Nick and his wife would know - who's getting good grades, who's constantly pulling the dog's tail, who's not getting their homework done and who's misbehaving at every turn.

For 20 years, Pam and Joe Liguori of Bloomingdale have donned red velvet and white fur and delighted local children during the holiday season, taking care to find out as much as they can about each child before he or she climbs onto Santa's lap.

For all those years, they have received more joy than they have given, they said.

"We get as much out of it as we give," Pam Liguori said. "You walk into a room, and you just can almost feel the electricity. The kids … almost tackle us.

"I make sure he never has a hole in his glove or a worn belt. We never want the kids to know he's not the real Santa. My heart would be broken," she said, remembering all the eager young faces she has seen through the years.

"When we go to the schools, they all wave and want to come up and get hugs," she said. "The attitude from senior citizens is just as great as from the kids."

She recalled a man in Ybor City who was sitting in his rocker on his front porch when he saw the couple drive by in costume. He leaped from his chair and waved, calling their names.

The Liguoris limit their visits to churches, nursing homes, schools and a few select parties, and they are regulars each Christmas season at Pediatric Therapy Services in Brandon.

"We never would want anyone making money off of us," Joe Liguori said.

The Liguoris take special care to prepare each year. This year, that meant two new beards for Santa. Juicy, sticky hands can muck up a good Santa beard in short order.

"You wouldn't believe," Joe Liguori said.

Their stories tumble out of their memories with ease.

For some children, the couple's special attention has led to life changes. Many years ago, a little girl had been acting up badly at a grocery store before visiting Santa at the Bloomingdale party. After her mother told Joe Ligouri she had been misbehaving, he had a heart-to-heart talk with the girl. The mother called the Bloomingdale Homeowners Association years later to say her daughter never threw another tantrum. When Santa and Mrs. Claus leave an event, they talk all the way home about their experience. "And sometimes, for months afterward," Joe Liguori said.

There are times when they cry all the way home, especially after trips to the Pediatric Therapy Services Christmas party, where they spread their cheer to boys and girls with myriad disabilities.

"We've had kids that have never asked for a present," Joe Liguori said. "They'll ask Santa to find their dad a job or bring him home from war, or to make mommy's cancer go away. Sometimes, we have to coax anything out of them. The other half rattle off a long list."

By halfway through the holiday season, Santa knows the most popular toys for Christmas.

"But Santa never promises a toy," he said. "He just says he'll see what he can do."

JOIN THE PARTY

WHAT: The Bloomingdale Homeowners Association Christmas Party is open to the public. The visit and photo with Santa are free, but a donation of canned food for charities is requested.

WHEN: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. today

WHERE: Bloomingdale Community Office, 3509 Bell Shoals Road, Valrico, behind SunTrust Bank

CONTACT: Call (813) 681-2051

Reporter Yvette C. Hammett can be reached at (813) 657-4532 or at yhammett@tampatrib.com.