Omaha man donates $11,000 to Goodfellows to buy toys in honor of longtime Santa

It all began when he started sending anonymous presents to kids. Soon, he decided to don Kris Kringle’s suit and beard and visit in person. That morphed into visits to Omaha parties, business events and the homes of families of all incomes.

Ryan then spread joy throughout the metro area until he could no longer get around well.

“I did it for one reason,” said Ryan, a longtime First National Bank employee who never married and has no kids. “It made me feel good, and I like doing things that feel good.”

At 88 years old, he’s now a resident at New Cassel Retirement Center. He doesn’t have a car and lives a quiet life.

He does, however, have an apprentice: Rod Jewell, 67, an Omaha Mass Mutual agent, who has been helping with Santa appearances since 2019.

And this year, Jewell is honoring Omaha’s longtime St. Nick — now a dear friend — with a special gift to The World-Herald’s Goodfellows charity. Citing Ryan, he donated $11,000 to the 135-year-old nonprofit to buy toys for children, ages 0 to 17, in the Omaha metropolitan area.

Jewell, who has a wife and six children, met Ryan about three years ago at the Burger King near 76th and Dodge Streets. He’d seen Ryan there before, but they connected that particular day because of Jewell’s appearance: He’d grown out his hair and a long white beard during the pandemic.

“He said, ‘Hey, I can use you,’” Jewell said. “‘I run a professional Santa Claus corporation.’”

The corporation comment was mostly in jest, but Ryan was serious. Some seasons, he had up to 40 Santa gigs. Jewell thought it over, and a few days later, he agreed to help out, and donate the money people offered to pay for the Santa service to Bethlehem House, an Omaha nonprofit that helps pregnant women.

After working with Ryan, Jewell knew he wanted to do something to recognize the older man’s contributions to the community.

He said his donation was a way to focus attention on the Omaha Community Foundation.

“They do really, really good work, and I want to promote it to people,” he said.

He also has been a faithful follower of The World-Herald and its charity.

The foundation handled his Goodfellows gift, and, in turn, Goodfellows wrote a check to Oriental Trading Co., where Jewell wanted to purchase the toys. He knew the retired president of the business, Bob Goldsmith, and thought Goldsmith could connect him with someone who would pick out exactly what he needed.

Enter Jerry Venner, Oriental Trading’s director of sales, one of the elves in this story.

“We worked with him to help stretch his dollars and get the maximum effect from the donated funds,” Venner said.

Toys purchased included educational games and puzzles; basketballs, soccer balls and flying disks; plastic bat-and-ball and golf sets; beach balls and many other things, including some suitable for older people.

“Even stuff like journals and in-depth toys for older kids that fall under the STEM category,” Venner said. “This donation could impact hundreds of kids and dozens of adults.”

Goodfellows, administered since 2020 by United Way of the Midlands, found three agencies to handle the toys: Heartland Hope Mission, Stephen Center and Girls Inc.

Chelsea Salifou and more elves on her staff at Heartland Hope Mission began distributing the toys late this week.

“It’s been really busy,” she said Friday morning amid the cacophony of clients who were Christmas shopping in the mission at 2929 U St. The mission includes a food pantry, clothing and other items for struggling area residents. “We have a huge shopping area, and parents get to come and pick toys based on ages.”

Families then can wrap the gifts so they can fulfill their kids’ Christmas wishes. The toys also are distributed with the public as part of an adopt-a-family program.

“It is such a blessing,” Salifou, the mission’s CEO, said of the donation. “Parents are so grateful. We had a guy who burst into tears because he had just become homeless and he would be able to provide Christmas for his kids.”

Jewell — who also supports other nonprofits such as St. Cecilia Cathedral, Mount Michael School and Scatter Joy Acres — said he didn’t work too long on figuring out the Goodfellows donation, and gave all the credit to the people from various organizations who made it happen. Efforts by the Kiewit Foundation and Warren Buffett to divest their assets among worthy causes also inspired him, he said.

“It’s a very small thing compared to what other people do. If it honors Doug and calls attention to what the (Omaha Community) Foundation can do, I’m a happy guy,” he said. “I’m blessed. I think it’s important that you share when you can. I try to do it with my time; I try to do it with my money.”

For Ryan, this Christmas season has been bittersweet. It’s weird and sad not to be Santa anymore, and he’s struggling. But Jewell’s gift, he said, is a great honor. It might just take some of the sting out of having to retire his ho ho ho.

“‘As the purse is emptied, the heart is filled,’ Ryan said, recalling the famous words of Victor Hugo. “That describes Rod. He’s a damn good man and truly has the spirit of giving. He’s a busy man (and) is to be congratulated for what he does.”