By Bill Forrester
ou know Dasher and Dancer, Prancer and Vixen…Comet and Cupid, and Donner and Blitzen. You may even know the most famous reindeer of all. But do you know Rooster?
This is the busy season for Santa Claus, but even he can’t be in multiple places simultaneously. So he takes advantage of the gig economy to send ambassadors around the world. Rodney “Rooster” Milliken is the Santa of Shreveport. Milliken has more than 95 events booked on behalf of Kris Kringle, which includes photo sessions. Last year, he visited with more than 5,100 children, collecting their Christmas wishes to share with St. Nick. He expects to see at least that many children again this year.
It all started 13 years ago at The Shreveport Club. “The manager at The Shreveport Club had been missing his Santa,” Milliken said. “His Santa just didn’t contact him. He knew I had a generic Santa suit, so he called and asked if I would do it. That’s how I got started…I made enough money that first year to buy a real Santa suit. Those are expensive.”
It turned out to be a good investment. That proper Santa suit, combined with some premature gray hair and beard, makes Milliken the perfect fit for the role. “They think I look authentic,” he said of the children. “I love seeing the expression on the kids’ faces when they see me.”
Through the years, he has seen his fair share of doubters. He has created several ways to convince even the most skeptical children. He has answers to questions about the reindeer and Mrs. Claus, too. Sometimes, he likes to have a little fun with the kids. “If they have the cookies, I always mess with the kids,” he said. “If they bring me a cookie, they always bring me a Santa Claus cookie. I bring it to my mouth, and my hand starts shaking. I tell them, ‘I can’t eat a Santa cookie.’ They always bring me something else.”
But not even Santa can bring the answers some children want to hear. “Sometimes kids are having home issues,” Milliken said. “Some of them will wish that their mom or dad would come back home, or they pray their family will be happy. I can’t do much about that. But I do say that I will pray for them.”
Santa of Shreveport enjoys the Christmas lights, the decorations, and the music. But he loves what he does because of the children. “I like being available for the kids,” he said. “I think it ended up being a natural fit, with my personality and my looks and that stuff. But I am always right there for the kids.”
To learn more about Santa of Shreveport, please visit his Facebook page.