FORT WORTH, Texas − Sleigh bells ring, and a few dozen twinkly-eyed seniors are listening. Mrs. Claus is in the house, and she’s got a major bulletin to share.
“I’ve come from the North Pole to deliver some very exciting news,” she tells those gathered at Haltom City Senior Center in suburban Fort Worth, Texas, on a chilly December day. “The big announcement is ... you are all on the nice list.”
The elders, many of them in winter pajamas, shout out with glee. Santa, however, is nowhere to be seen. It’s just Mrs. Claus – aka Betsy Modrzejewski of Keller, Texas – at the controls in a satiny red outfit with white faux fur cuffs, cultivating smiles and memories with caroling and a reading of “The Night Before Christmas.”
“It’s a change of pace," said Joyce Hejl, 68, a community senior who is seeing Modrzejewski’s act for the third straight year. "She’s got a great personality.”
Don’t look now, but here comes Mrs. Claus, right down Santa Claus’ lane. While St. Nick might be the season’s marquee draw, Modrzejewski and others say Mrs. Claus’ popularity is on the rise as clients look to break from routine, enlist the character’s motherly qualities and highlight positive female role models.
