Local Santa helps keep things chill on The Polar Express

by Tess Wolfe

You don’t have to be a child to be caught up in the magic of the holiday season. As a volunteer for the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad, Larry Csumitta has been an annual winter visitor to the North Pole – which looks a lot like the train depot in Peninsula – for eight years.

Csumitta, 67, and wife Joyce have lived in Independence for 30 years and raised their three sons through Independence Local Schools. Now retired, the U.S. Navy veteran boards The Polar Express train of the CVSR as Santa, in a suit that Joyce made by hand.

For his first three years as a holiday volunteer, Csumitta had been part of the annual train rides with Mr. Jingaling, the “Keeper of the Keys,” to Santa’s workshop before stepping into the role of the jolly old elf himself.

“I see the magic the kids have in their eyes, and I just think it’s neat,’’ Csumitta said. “I can see they believe and are enjoying the whole experience from the moment you open the door and jingle your sleigh bells. You can hear everybody say, ‘Santa is here!’ It’s really nice to know you’re making their holiday just the way you remember when you were a kid.”

It can also be a very moving experience. On one occasion, Csumitta recalled being asked by a staff member to spend time as Santa in a railway car with a family whose grandfather had paid the way for his grandchildren. The man was terminally ill and “wanted them to have the best Christmas ever,” he said. “The grandfather was dying, and I guess it was close. That was a tough visit.”

With one train route originating from Rockside Station in Independence, at 7900 Old Rockside Rd., and the other from the Akron Northside Station, at 27 Ridge St., The Polar Express heads to the train depot in Peninsula, which is transformed into a scenic, living wonderland of elves, tin soldiers and Santa in his sleigh.

“Their eyes are just glued on you,” Csumitta said of the children watching Santa as they ride. “And as I go a little farther, I look back – because they’re still watching you – and I’ll give them a little wink.”

With more than 46,000 passengers last year, The Polar Express relies on about 1,000 volunteers during the final quarter of the year, nearly 50 of whom will be donning the traditional red and white attire of Santa Claus this year, said Sherri Lemley, CVSR manager of volunteer relations.

“We now have 10 Santas a night, so the program has really expanded,” she said. “We are very grateful to all of our Santas and volunteers who put their time into this program. We cannot put into words how appreciative we are.”

With eight, two-hour trainings scheduled this season, every Santa volunteer is required to learn, step by step, what to expect, what will happen and what has changed from last year. While some volunteers are employed elsewhere as professional Santas and have their own attire, the CVSR provides volunteers with costumes and other gear, as needed.

“Most of our Santas have natural beards that are white or gray,” Lemley said. “The main requirement is to be jolly, to be honest with you.”

In its 25th year, The Polar Express at Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad runs through Dec. 21. Arrangements are available in advance for passengers who require disability access. For more information, call 800-468-4070, ext. 240 or visit cvsr.org.

 

Featured image photo caption: Thirty-year Independence resident Larry Csumitta is ready to greet riders on The Polar Express, decked out in a Santa suit made by his wife, Joyce. Photo by E. Peterson