Santa has something to smile about. Photo / Dean Purcell
Santa has something to smile about. Photo / Dean Purcell
KEY POINTS:
Santa has been saved - and now he wants to thank his supporters.
Alex Swney, chief executive of Heart of the City, said the giant Whitcoulls Father Christmas would stay for many festive seasons to come after overwhelming support from the people of Auckland.
And today and tomorrowSanta will be offering 10 children's bikes to be won to say thanks to those who helped save him.
To go into the draw to win:
Go down to Whitcoulls at the corner of Queen St and Victoria St and sign a thank you Christmas card.
Christmas elves will be there to show you how.
All those who sign will go into the draw to win one of the bikes.
In a public vote some said the decoration was an Auckland icon, others say he looks like a creepy, seedy old man.
"By a ratio of more than 2:1 New Zealanders (even some callers from London) have said he must stay, so he'll be back in 2009 for sure," said Mr Swney.
Heart of the City would organise the $55,000 needed to keep the 48-year-old Father Christmas in place each year.
And Mr Swney had some good news for those who voted to say goodbye to the 25m tall Santa. The organisation will investigate the cost of an eye-makeover to "stop the eye that used to wink looking quite so gammy".
Santa has adorned Auckland buildings since 1960, moving from Farmers' Hobson St store to Whitcoulls in 1998.
