Press Release Summary = Jim Tuman is a man who knows no less than to provide toys and gifts for underprivileged children all around the country to put smiles on their faces and his own. He is seeking out someone to take his place as the modern day Santa Clause.
Press Release Body = ROYAL OAK, MICH. - Santa's work is year-round. Just ask Jim Tuman, 65, known to many as a real-life Santa Claus. Much like Santa, Tuman's work is most visible during the December holiday season when the charity he founded in 1989, Jimmy's Kids, distributes presents to hundreds of thousands of special-needs and underprivileged children. The task is enormous and unlike the Yuletide icon who never seems to age, Tuman is aware of his mortality and is looking for a successor to whom he can soon pass the sleigh reins.
On Christmas morning, 170 families in SW Detroit are being surprised with gifts given by over 100 people including many Jewish & Muslim people coming together and going door-to-door. This year he plans on passing out over 100,000 gifts nationwide, spanning from the day after Thanksgiving to New Year's Eve. Over 200 people have volunteered this year and they dress up as Mickey Mouse, Barney, Winnie the Pooh, and several other costumes to excite the kids
Jimmy's Kids collects presents year-round and delivers them at merry parties to special-needs children ranging in age from 4 to 11 years old. Tuman plans the parties, many of which are hosted by sport and local celebrities, and coordinates distribution of the presents.
When Tuman's not distributing presents with his helpers, he is busy, and his successor will be too. Tuman's daily list of duties is staggering. In addition to gathering toys and rounding up donors, playing Santa, throwing parties for special-needs and underprivileged children, answering nearly 300 calls a day, traveling around the world, receiving invitations to meet with world leaders to talk about the breakdown of family and the program model he developed to combat the problem, giving speeches, making plans and attempting to have a personal life - Tuman's also writing a book.
Tuman's life work is better than most works of fiction. Born into a working class New York City family, Tuman's life has been a series of globe-spanning adventures including turns as a roadie, a famine worker in Ethiopia, a circus clown, a symphony musician, a cake decorator, parade enthusiast and Michiganian of the Year. He's even been the subject of a nationwide Japanese documentary show. In addition to his Jimmy's Kids work, Tuman is a nationally known youth advocate and speaker who champions suicide prevention and has been granted invitations by many of the world's leaders to discuss the importance of family and the program model he has developed to combat the breakdown of family. Tuman has addressed over 2 million young people worldwide in over 1,500 schools, asking them to examine their motives, goals and feelings, and make meaningful decisions about their futures. His programs have garnered national and international attention and he has been profiled by many of the most respected media outlets in the United States.
Tuman's mission has not been solitary - along the way, he's found "little helpers" to lend an occasional hand due to persistence and a belief in the goodness of others. "People are incredible- they come out of the woodwork. One minute someone will call and need something and I'll put down the phone and 5 minutes later it will happen, like magic," recalls Tuman.
So what does it take to fill Santa's Boots? Tuman's looking for a special person. "The Number 1 quality is a sense of passion to make a difference in kids' lives. If that's not there it's just another day at the office."
2022
