Tuesday, December 12, 2000

Doctor and dog fill in for ailing Santa

By Bill Whitaker

Dr. Victor Hirsch says he doesn’t necessarily mind his wife’s forcing him to wear other people’s clothes, it’s just he wishes they’d fit better.

Although 300 or so kids didn’t notice the difference, the 6-foot-4 local oncologist sure did when, at his wife’s urging, he filled in at the last minute for a Santa Claus who’d fallen in action on the way to the Abilene Philharmonic’s fifth annual Children’s Christmas Party.

None of this happened without some fast talking by Hirsch’s wife, Sherry, who is president of the Philharmonic Guild and made the appeal to her husband after Chap Ramsey — the man originally pegged to play Santa — was injured on his way to the Abilene Civic Center.

Ramsey planned to roar into the Civic Center foyer not only in St. Nick’s flowing white beard and red garb but atop a motorcycle, presumably to the delight of every boy and girl. But that idea ended when he turned over his Harley on Oldham Lane, resulting in a dislocated shoulder.

So who would fill in for Santa No. 1?

Calling Dr. Hirsch.

“He was absolutely wonderful,” remarked Bobbie Gee, who brought her ever-agreeable Shih Tzu, “Miss Lucy,” to help Patches the Clown entertain youths while Santa was otherwise occupied. “My dog knows kids and she also knows a good Santa when she sees one.

“Well, she took to Dr. Hirsch right away.”

For a while, it was touch and go. When Sherry and other Philharmonic officials discovered Ramsey’s mishap, they had to be careful the small fry didn’t overhear that “Santa had been hurt riding his motorcycle.”

After all, if Santa couldn’t handle a Harley, how on earth could he manage a flying sleigh by starlight?

Sherry also had to do some heavy persuading to convince her husband, who was at the hospital working, to be temporarily hypocritical about his Hippocratic oath long enough to greet, console and hear out anxious children.

Only the frantic tone in Sherry’s voice swayed him.

Even then, Dr. Hirsch must have had second thoughts when volunteers were trying to stuff him into the somewhat constricting Santa suit.

“Well, my husband is taller and heavier than Chap,” Sherry admitted, “because of time and gravity, you see.”

Among Dr. Hirsch’s family and friends, he’s known as the perfect choice to fill in for any and all legendary characters. Once, when a person tapped to portray Uncle Sam at a Fourth of July party failed to materialize, Dr. Hirsch ended up wearing the red, white and blue.

Because of his size, however, he could only squeeze into part of the outfit.

From what I’m told, he managed to wiggle into Uncle Sam’s top hat and jacket, though as far as the rest of it went, it was strictly a jeans-and-boots affair.

But at the Philharmonic children’s event, a good time was had by all and Dr. Hirsch actually enjoyed his lively stint as Santa Claus. Best of all, Chap Ramsey recovered enough to play Santa at the Philharmonic concert that very night.

“He just couldn’t raise his arm over his head,” Sherry said.

And all that was missing during the children’s party was the promised entry on a Harley.

One volunteer suggested that when Dr. Hirsch entered the foyer as Santa Claus, he should joyously “bound down the stairs” — to which Dr. Hirsch supposedly replied: “I don’t think you’ve got enough insurance for me to bound down those stairs!”

Which meant coming down the chimney was definitely out.

Contact associate editor Bill Whitaker at 676-6732 or whitakerb@abinews.com. Check out Bill’s previous columns at www.brazosbill.com.