Hillyard Santa rings in season

He’s been a dishwasher, a school teacher, a research chemist and a business owner, but these days Clyde Decker is better known as the Hillyard Santa. For the past five years, the 70-year-old Hillyard resident has handed out hundreds of toys to area children.

In 2003, at the CHAS clinic (Community Health Association of Spokane) in the Northeast Community Center, Decker heard about children who needed Christmas gifts. Clinic coordinator Tenny Sanelli, who started the Kids Christmas in Hillyard program, recalled, “I ran into Clyde as he was coming through the door. I told him how many families we served.” She also told him they were running out of toys. That’s all it took.

“He just kept coming through the door that day,” said Sanelli. And each time his arms were filled with toys.

“In six days, I got enough toys to give 83 kids,” Decker said. Sanelli was amazed. “It made a huge difference,” she said. “I had patients that cried.”

She didn’t expect what happened next. Decker decided that the CHAS clinic should never have to worry about a shortage of toys again. The day after Christmas that year he started shopping for the next year. In 2004, he made it possible for 300 children to get new toys for Christmas. The Kids Christmas in Hillyard program was so successful they quickly outgrew the clinic. “We had no space to store the toys,” Decker said.

But that didn’t daunt him. “The Bank of America (Hillyard) stepped forward and volunteered to let me store the toys in an empty vault.” He told friends and family what he was doing, and they offered to help. He’d been using part of his Social Security check to buy the toys. His sister, Bonnie Tibbles, became a big donor. When she visited from Seattle, Decker showed her the bank vault filled with toys. “She said, ‘My god, it looks like Toys “R” Us!’ ” recalled Decker with a chuckle.

In addition, the bank offered to let Decker use their lobby for the toy giveaway, and the additional space was put to good use. “In 2005 we gave toys to 448 kids,” he said.

The program continues to expand because the need is still growing, yet Decker steadfastly refuses to solicit help. “I will not ask for donations,” he said. “I just can’t do it.”

But when folks find out what he’s doing, they want to be a part of it. “A guy handed me a $50 bill at the bank once and said, ‘Keep up the good work.’ ”

His good work is becoming legendary. Decker was invited to be the grand marshal for the Hillyard Days parade this summer. He recently sat at Java Junction and sipped a cup of coffee while he talked about toy shopping strategies. He seemed to know every customer who came through the door.

Though he lacks the white beard, he does have white hair, which he topped with a purple and gold Hillyard Pride baseball cap, and his chuckle is just as hearty as Santa’s. Decker sported a red T-shirt that read “Hillyard Santa” on the front and “For the Kids” on the back. “My daughter made it,” he said with a smile.

His shopping became a lot easier this year thanks to the Hillyard Safeway store. “They donated 25 percent of the toys,” said Decker. The store also helped last year. “They gave me 204 toys – all the leftover Christmas toys.”

He immediately took some of the goodies to the CHAS clinic. “When the little guys get their shots, they get a prize,” he explained.

Other area businesses like, Howe’s Automotive and Snyders Bakery, also help. But Decker stressed, “It’s strictly a one-man operation.” He raises money to buy the gifts by selling small toys at flea markets and community garage sales. “Small toys to buy big toys,” he said.

The program is exclusively for Hillyard families. Beginning next Thursday,those interested can visit the CHAS clinic at the Northeast Community Center. The only requirement is something with a ZIP code that shows the families live in the area. Then they’re issued a ticket with the ages and genders of the children in the household. From there, they take the ticket to the Bank of America lobby between next Thursday and Dec. 23 and choose one toy for each child ages birth to 12.

“We feel completely privileged as a clinic to be able to have this service for our families,” Sanelli said and added, “He (Decker) makes a lot of people happy – especially the children.”

And Decker is very particular about what kind of toys those children receive. “No used toys,” he said. “And no toys in dented or broken cartons. Kids need to know they’re special. They shouldn’t get discards or castoffs.”

When asked why he’s taken on this project, Decker’s eyes glistened with emotion and his answer was simple and direct. He said, “Kids are important.”