Rosetta Guy, the West Side’s Santa, Does More Than Spread Holiday Cheer—She Builds Community 

Rosetta Guy, 74, was in her element at the Austin Chamber of Commerce Christmas Tree Lighting & Parade in Austin on Dec. 5. Each year, she transforms into Santa Claus and entertains young people’s wish lists and smiles at events across the city. During the Dec. 5 event, she explained what sparked her interest in Saint Nick and revealed her many civic roles in the community that she holds while working full-time as an aide for Chicago Public Schools. 

I started dressing up as Santa in 1973. I had my son, and I wanted to make sure he had a good Christmas, and wanted to make sure all the other kids had a good Christmas, too, so I started playing Santa Claus. I dress up for other holidays. On Easter, I’m the Easter Bunny. On Halloween, I dress as a clown. I do other holidays, as well. 

I perform concerts for the homeless. We make sure they get clothing and food. We help them get housing. I go to the prisons, too. I work in the community. When kids go to jail, they’re still ours. So, I work with their probationary officers. If they get out and need community service, I help them set up their community service to clean up the blocks in the neighborhood. 

I train young people to do everything I do. I have a nonprofit called CW Community Warriors. I have churches, community leaders, and aldermen working with me. I started with Congressman Danny K. Davis, former Secretary of State Jesse White, and former Ald. Ed Smith. I’ve worked with all the politicians in office. I campaign for them. I’m a deputy registrar, an election judge, and a precinct captain. 

The first time I started as Santa was on the 600 block of North Springfield in Austin. I organized that block club. I got to know everybody. Now, I’m president of the block club where I now live on the 800 block of North Kedvale Avenue. We do best house and best yard contests. Things like that to build up the community. 

For a long time, I was the only Santa many kids in the city knew. I even went to Cabrini-Green. Everybody else was scared to go up there. I’m like, ‘What they going to do to Santa? They going to take my toys? What?’ Hey, I jumped in a convertible, took a white lady with me—she was Mrs. Claus—and said, ‘Let’s go!’ When they tore the towers down, I still worked with those families.