Pittsburgh-area woman hoping to bring holiday cheer to family friend battling cancer
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — A Pittsburgh-area woman is doing her part to help a longtime member of her community who is battling cancer.
Paul Daley, affectionately known as "Poppa D" by Bethel Park resident Kim Kamenicky, has been spreading holiday cheer by dressing up as Santa for years.
Kamenicky tells KDKA-TV that after Daley retired a few years ago, he had a full, gray beard. He thought, "This would be great. I can be Santa."
Through the years, Santa Daley's holiday stops included Santa Villages at South Hills Village, the Galleria in Upper Saint Clair, and many others, according to Kamenicky.
When Daley donned the big red suit, it was all about the magic. Kamenicky and so many others say Mr. Daley became Saint Nick.
"A lot of people I've heard from say, 'My kids think he's the real deal. That's the real Santa,'" Kamenicky added.
This Christmas is going to be different.
Daley is battling cancer, and because of that, he won't be able to fulfill his role as Santa. So, Kamenicky, who's known the Daley family since she was a child, decided to give Santa Daley a gift.
She planned to share the photos of all the kids he's impacted over the years because, while Daley is in all the pictures, he hadn't seen those photos.
With that, Kamenicky put the word out, asking people to send her pictures or stories about how Paul Daley made Christmas so special for them or their kids.
"It's been overwhelming the number of people I've gotten. At least 200 pictures, and how he made a difference in their kids' Christmas season," Kamenicky said.
Kamenicky says she's putting together an album of the memories of a man she believes has made this world a better place.
"He's just meant a lot to my family, and I appreciate the time he took out of his daily life to bring joy to my family."
For more information on this effort to make this Santa's holiday special, email Kim at this address.
