Santas stop traffic to take a photo in front of the Reno Arch during a past Santa Crawl in downtown Reno.

December 14, 2007
Merrie Leininger, Reno Gazette-Journal

Hundreds of sauced Santas, blitzed Blitzens and jolly old elves will descend on downtown this Saturday for the annual Santa Bar Crawl fundraiser.

Organizers Matt Goedert, a San Francisco attorney who grew up in Reno and sales coordinator Tommy Keefhaver, of Reno, are hoping up to 1,000 people dressed as Santas, Mrs. Clauses and Rudolphs will go bar hopping with them Saturday night.

“We estimate, based on hits on the Web site, between 500 and 1,000 people,” Keefhaver said.

“The year before last we had 500, and last year, the snow killed a lot (of the attendance) and we still had 500. A lot of people got stuck in the snow and walked. Even my mother shows up. Even my grandparents showed up one year just to see the Santas. Just to wander around and look at people is worth the price of the suit.” ($14.99 at any Walgreens will get you a really cheap-looking Santa suit, complete with beard.)

“People go out who I don’t think drink. When you are dressed as Santa, people treat you a lot nicer, you’re automatically liked. I’m an attorney, so I’m hated everywhere I go, but for one night a year, I dress up like Santa and everybody likes me,” Goedert said.

This year, all the Santas who show up will have the opportunity not only to bring a little holiday cheer to the streets of Reno in between drinks and to help raise thousands for the Food Bank of Northern Nevada, but also will take away a little souvenir.

Goedert said the small group of volunteers who joined the organizing crew this year came up with the idea of selling bracelets that say “2007 Reno Santa Crawl.”

The red, green, glow-in-the-dark-green or reddish-gold rubber bracelets (like the yellow “Live Strong” bracelets) will be available at two for $5 at most of the 25 bars on the crawl.

Goedert said that while they raised $4,500 last year, they are hoping to raise about $1,500 more in 2007.

“We don’t actually ask participants to pay anything except buy their own drinks,” Goedert said. “The money comes from the bars and we ask the bars for more money every year; we can only ask for so much. A lot of times people will ask us where do they pay, so if you would like to give to the charity, then just give $5 and you get something in return.”

Keefhaver said people really go all out with both their costumes — whether it’s making a costume that lights up like Keefhaver did one year, or shelling out big bucks on a beard like Goedert did this year — and getting into the giving spirit, buying strangers drinks and handing out toys to kids on the street or candy, stickers or condoms to fellow crawlers.

Goedert said the crawl is divided into two routes again this year (one that starts at the Imperial Bar at 150 N. Arlington Ave., and one that stars at Club Underground at 555 E. 4th St.) because there are so many bars and so many participants.

“Imagine 500 people walking into a bar and asking for a drink,” Goedert said.

He said just about every downtown Reno bar is involved, a real change from the first couple of years when he had to convince bars to participate and not charge a cover. Now they have all experienced how much money they can make from a bunch of sloppy Santas in the holiday mood.

The bars offer drink specials to the Santas, and some have bands or DJs in an effort to get them to stop crawling and stay in their bar. Club Underground has its own Toys for Tots benefit that night at 9 p.m. called “A Nightmare Before Christmas.” Local rock bands One Time in Reno, Greyscale, The Swamp Donkey, Dorcia, This Calendar Year and more will play. The show is free with a toy and costume.

“We’re just bringing people down there, it’s their job to keep them there,” Goedert said. “Some bars sold Santa suits last year, others put out a jar for donations to the Food Bank. Others have certain portions of drink specials that go to the Food Bank. One place will have pizza this year.”

Whichever bar you start or stop at this year, Goedert and Keefhaver urge people to either take a cab home or get a hotel room for the night.

“Do everybody a favor, including whoever has to clean your bathroom. Tommy and I are staying at the Eldorado because they give the most to our charity. You got to show the love,” Goedert said.

– Merrie Leininger, Reno Gazette-Journal