By Kyra Gillespie
This Christmas just gone marked the 30th year that the Rissinich family have had a visit from Santa.
The famous family Santa Claus – who is actually long-time family friend Ted Bould – has spent three dedicated decades bringing magic back to the Rissinich Christmas.
His first visit was back in 1987, the year ex-policeman Norman Rissinich lost the spirit of Christmas.
“It all started when Norm stopped believing in Christmas”, Norman’s wife, Penny Rissinich said.
“It was approaching Christmas 1987 and Norman was continually sooking ‘that there was no joy whatsoever in Christmas once the children stopped receiving toys and started getting clothes and the like.’
“He said that it was just no fun and that the joy of Christmas was gone. The girls were so upset, so I wrote to Ted and asked him to be Santa.
“Everyone knew except Norm.”
That Christmas Eve of ‘87, Ted came to Norm, very apologetic, telling him he had just received a call and had to return to work.
“Well that made Norm even grumpier”, Penny chuckled.
“A little while later there was a knock on the door which I told Norm to answer.
“When he opened the door there was Ted, disguised as Santa. Quick as a wink, before Norman could shut the door he was past and inside the house and mixing with guests.
“Then, he disappeared just as quickly as he had come.”
To the family’s surprise, Santa’s appearance that year had a huge effect on Norm.
“The next year it was all very different, Norman was actually excited about the prospect of Christmas,“ Penny said.When he first opened the door, Norm said his initial thought was “well who’s this idiot?”
“But he was completely in character, and every year since he has bought the magic and fun back into Christmas”, Norm said.
“Over the years he has arrived on the back of a Harley Davidson motorbike, on tow trucks, climbed over fences, wandered down driveways, or just appeared in the crowd, all the time ringing his bell and singing his familiar ‘Ho! Ho! Ho!’
“This Christmas marks the 30th year of our friendship with Santa and I want to thank him for staying the course and helping the spirit of Christmas to stay alive in this happy little part of Pakenham.”
The man himself, Ted Bould, said being Santa has been his greatest pleasure.
“I have experienced a lot of joy and pleasure bringing the spirit of Christmas back to Norm”, he said.
“To see the emotion on the kids’ faces when I arrive is wonderful, and it’s been great to see them grow up over the years and have kids of their own.
“I want to thank the family for all their years of friendship; they are so generous in everything that they do.
“It is a small thing, but also a big thing in a way. It’s my way of thanking them.”
Close friend Bruce Clough has been instrumental in Santa’s grand entrances.
“One year Bruce tried to get me to jump out of a plane with a professional skydiver dressed as Santa and I said no way!“ Ted said.
“Even though I’m 67 I have no plans to retire; Santa is already in the calendar for next year.”
