Ramblings, Reflections, Verse & Genealogy: Santa Light Runs

I started running (jogging) in the winter of 1984. I remember so well because the Winter Olympics were taking place in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia. I figured that at age 42, I should get motivated like the Olympians and get some sort of exercise so I took up running. At that time my running circle was 3 miles round trip from my apartment into White Bear Lake Shopping Center at Highway 96 and White Bear avenue. The shopping center was across the road from the western shore of White Bear Lake and it was a pleasant destination all 4 seasons of the year. In the Shopping Center, along with a number of other stores was Kowalski's Market, an upscale grocery store. When I moved into a townhome in 1989, my distance to the same destination had increased to 7 miles round trip.

With this background , I will explain that in 1989 I thought it would be fun around Christmas time to dress in my winter running suit and and attach (via safety pins) colored, battery-operated miniature lights (including some blinking ones) up, down and around my suit before taking my usual 7 mile jog into the Shopping Center. So I bought the lights (intended for an end table display at home), a bunch of C-cell batteries, and safety pins, a pouch with a belt to hold the batteries. I spent a lot of time pinning the lights to my running suit and headed outside at dusk (4:30 pm) about a week before Christmas. I got a lot of waves from passing motorists, horn honking and stares in disbelief!! The whole experience was a blast!

I continued the Santa Light Runs through 1996 for a total of 7 years. In 1995, I up-scaled my "Santa Light Runs" and bought a Santa Clause suit. I ran in this for two years. In 1995 I bought some $5 Kowalski gift coupons and gave these away as I ran through their grocery store! In 1996 I bought $1 McDonald gift certificates and $5 Kowalski gift coupons and gave these away along my route including the VFW Club at White Bear Lake Shopping Center. Often one or more of my adult children (John, Joe and Julie) and loving wife Rose would follow me in a car and take photos along the way (seen below). When 1997 rolled around there was little snow (which made the whole exercise that much more fun) and I decided not to do my Santa Light Run. Sadly, 1996 marked the end of the Light Runs but, fortunately not my running. For years after, I used my Santa suit to surprise the grandkids at Christmas.

Some notes from my last and 7th Annual Santa Light Run in 1996 were the following:

"Had 80 lights + 20 blinking ones on Santa hat. Had replaced "D cell" battery holders with "C cell" holders I got from Radio Shack. This worked well. Had purchased 5-$5.00 gift certificates from Kowalski's and 10-$1.00 gift certificates (two $5.00 books) from McDonald's to give away. I sealed the Kowalski's certificates in a boil-in-the-bag pouch and had the McDonald's coupons in an envelope. These I carried in a Santa sock velcrowed to belt. Had two bells wired to belt buckle. Used Christmas tree sap on eyebrows to stick starch to them. Had on polypropylene (pp) shorts, then pp top and bottom, then wool/pp top, then Santa pants & suspenders, then Santa "fat" vest, then hunter vest, then Santa top with safety-pinned black belt, Santa sock velcrowed to black belt. Pants and Top had 8 sets of lights (80) safety pinned to them"