Santa meets with children in Washington’s Central Park. Photo by Sally Y. Hart

For 45 years a Washington man has been donning a red suit and white beard during the holidays to become Santa Claus; recently he published a book about his experiences. Dave Stouffer is his name and the title of the book is Are You the Real Santa. Through a computer dictation program and some help from his wife, he’s published the collection of stories.

He shares the book is about connecting with others. Looking back at the years as St. Nick, he says there are certain people he continues to carry with him and there have been happy, sad and funny moments – from the process of making his beard white in the early days to helping a terminally ill child. Each chapter of the book is a different story.

To hear the full interview listen to today’s Washington Page.

The book is available for purchase at the Mills Seed Building and at Santa’s workshop in downtown Washington this weekend, Saturday and Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m.