That changed in 2017, when some of his friends’ kids reached the age when Christmas is most fun – 4 and 5 years old.

“I had crazy hair and the beard,” DiVincenzo said. “I bought a Santa suit online for 99 bucks.”

The kids were already confusing him for Santa Claus anyway, and it became something he did every year. It was 2019 when he decided that Santa should start making appearances outside of his family parties.

That’s when he started what was then Santa Claus is Coming to Morris, and is now Santa Claus is Coming to Grundy County.

“I started doing some fundraisers,” DiVincenzo said. “I would sit at a couple storefronts on Liberty Street, and on Midnight Madness, I would take pictures and raise money for charities.”

He said it started with him raising $500 to $1,000 just from taking pictures. It has since grown into the annual An Evening with Santa event at First Christian Church, and the upcoming Touch-a-Truck event in Coal City.

DiVincenzo said now that An Evening with Santa has moved indoors, it draws anywhere between 1,300 and 1,500 people. It is held with Grundy County Heroes & Helpers, and the morning begins with local law enforcement and firefighters taking children around Walmart to shop for clothes and Christmas gifts.

DiVincenzo said it’s become a community effort. The Coal City High School and Morris Community High School football teams have come and helped set up tables and decorate, and people like former Immaculate Conception School Principal Kim DesLauriers and librarians from the Morris Area Public Library read to the kids.

The Coal City Middle School theater students have pitched in, too. They’ve played the Christmas characters the past few years. He said this was aided by Blaze and Patrick, the kids of Coal City Deputy Fire Chief Nick Doerfler.

Those who have attended An Evening with Santa may recognize them better as Butch and Paulie, Santa’s elves. The Grundy County Sheriff’s Explorer Program kids have gotten involved, too.

He said the program isn’t possible without volunteers from across the community, such as Doerfler and Shawn Hornsby of Coleman/Hornsby Real Estate.

The Marine Corps League has also helped, and DiVincenzo said they’ve been instrumental in growing their Touch-a-Truck event in Coal City.

Santa Claus is Coming to Grundy County also provides scholarships for future first responders. DiVincenzo said they’ve already given away over $10,000 in scholarships.

“The hardest part is getting kids to put the applications in,” DiVincenzo said.

He said the only requirement is that they live in Grundy County and plan to attend college to become first responders. This can be anything from a police officer or firefighter to an EMT, a nurse or even a pharmacist.

DiVincenzo said 103.1 WCSJ has also been instrumental in growing An Evening with Santa into what it is today, providing airtime and getting their information out there for their “People Are Talking” segment.

Santa Claus is Coming to Grundy County’s next event is its second annual Touch-the-Truck from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, July 11, at Coal City Lions Hall & Park, 460 S. Illinois St.