Johnston County — Sam Koziarz was not sure what to think of the white-bearded man in the red suit waving at him from across the street in downtown Smithfield.

It was the first time the 2-year-old had ever seen Santa Claus, the jolly old elf known for his hearty laugh, wide grin, large belly and ability to deliver presents to every boy and girl in the world in just one night.

Sam clutched his mother, Tabatha Koziarz, tightly and hid his face, almost in tears. Santa knew exactly how to ease Sam's fears — he pulled out a handful of candy.

"They all want the candy," said Tim Johnson, hidden underneath the Santa disguise. "That is the funny part. A lot of them run up, get it and run back. What makes the most difference is just standing there and me talking to them from a distance and not seeing me going toward them."

Johnson, head of the Smithfield Parks and Recreation Department, has played Santa Claus for 19 years. He stumbled upon the gig accidentally, filling in for Ray Gibbs when the former head of the Downtown Smithfield Development Corp. became sick during the Christmas season. Johnson has Santa ever since.

"You are Santa Claus," Johnson said. "Once you have everything on and you are in the chair with the children, it changes everything anyway. It kind of brings you back to 'That is why you are doing it.' You are making their day and being part of their childhood, ending up on mantels all over the place."

While Johnson might not have set out to become Santa, Glenn Fipps did. Several years ago, he hired a Santa impersonator to surprise his children, but the impersonator did not do Santa justice. The man wore a white beard made of cotton balls and had to use pillows to make his skinny frame appear plump.

"Luckily, my kids were young enough so they didn't know the difference," said Fipps, an animal-control officer for the Town of Benson. "When I saw the joy in their eyes that that brought them, it was worth $10,000."

That moment six years was enough for Fipps to decide to try to play the role of Santa himself. After investing in the proper attire, Fipps began appearing as Santa for Wal-Mart, department stores, the Benson Area Chamber of Commerce and the American Legion post in Benson.

Last week, several youngsters stopped by the Santa House where Glenn was stationed in downtown Benson. Among the visitors was 7-year-old Austin Lee. Immediately, he jumped on Fipps' lap and asked for pencils, clothes and a four-wheeler. Earlier that day, Lee had read a story about Santa in his first-grade class at Benson Elementary School.

"Don't go down the chimney because momma leaves the fireplace on," Lee told Fipps before heading home with his grandmother, Diane Willis.

Nine-year-old Cassidy Adams of Benson and her 7-year-old sister, Kandis, were not shy with Fipps either. "I want a scooter with a helmet," Kandis said with a smile. "I love those things. They make my hair get puffy. They make me go speedy, and the cars will never get me."

When Johnson was a child, he asked Santa for a cowboy suit and drum set. Lucky for him, he got both. But now, children no longer request the typical toys from Santa. They want cellular telephones, laptops, video games and other electronics. Of course, Johnson still has requests for unicorns, dinosaur eggs and horses.

"Sometimes Santa has to be the bad guy," he said. "You have parents shaking their heads in the background saying 'no,' so sometimes, I have to say 'No, we can't do that' and why we can't do that. They will accept it."

Fipps has visited many places as St. Nick, but a recent trip to Liberty Commons Nursing & Rehabilitation Center in Benson changed his life. Fipps and his fiancée, Jean Moore, dressed as Mrs. Claus, delivered fruit to the elderly residents. One woman who had been unresponsive for years finally showed some emotion the moment she saw Fipps dressed as Santa.

"She got up every morning, would get herself dressed and lay back down," Fipps said. "I went in in my Santa suit and told her 'Merry Christmas and God bless.' She had one single tear roll down her cheek. When that happened, it was just touching. There is no amount of money a person could have paid me for the enjoyment I got out of it."