With Christmas around the corner, Chuck Guidry is helping to spread holiday cheer this time of year.

When he isn’t working as a salesman for a local insurance company as he has for the last 15 years, the Lydia resident plays another role: Santa Claus.

Guidry’s journey to playing Jolly Old Saint Nick started a few years ago when his wife, who was working at Highland Baptist Christian School, asked if he would be willing to get a Santa suit and visit the kids at school.

“This is how it all kinda started,” Guidry said. “I went to see the kindergarteners all the way to second grade and go in the classroom and they all tell me what they want for Christmas.”

Though he only it less than a handful of times a year, Guidry makes those stops count, from visiting local daycares to dance studios, private pirates and even friends and family. He enjoys putting smiles on the little ones’ faces.

“It’s always fun,” Guidry said. “You have kids and they still believe and I guess that’s the biggest thrill you get out of it: seeing the looks on their faces and the excitement and everything and seeing them get so lit up.”

Guidry said the first few seconds of when he shows up in his Santa suit to greet all the good boys and girls is always his favorite part. When they don’t know what’s going on, then they see Guidry — or rather Santa and they all get excited — it’s always a thrill for him.

“When you open that door … it’s fun,” Guidry said.

Typically, Guidry is pretty busy in his spare time as Santa the last few weeks leading up to Christmas Day, but due to COVID-19 restrictions this year has been a little different. It still doesn’t stop him from helping to put smiles on the children’s faces.

The excitement, that rush for both him and the children, is what Gudiry enjoys most about playing Santa these last few years. It’s those moments he looks forward to each and every time he dons the Santa suit.

As they all take turns sitting on his lap, Guidry listens to what the kids are asking for. From a little girl asking for a unicorn or even a second-grader asking for a football, it’s all fun and games for both Santa and Guidry.

“When you walk in the door, and they see you, whether it’s in the classroom or the daycare, when you step through that door and they hear the bells ringing, you can hear it (the excitement) from outside the door,” Guidry said.