For Immediate Release                                            Contact:        Timothy Connaghan:   (951) 779-0536

May 8, 2009                                                                                     Cell:  (714) 812-9777

·      215 Days ‘til Christmas

·      Fifty ‘Real’ Santas & Mrs. Claus

·      Voyage to Alaska and the North Pole!

Real Bearded Santas to attend special three day “School4Santas” while at sea.

Who:            Twenty-five ‘real bearded’ Santas, plus their Mrs. Clauses, from all over the United States.  The real surprise is that one of these gentlemen may be the real Santa.  We can't tell you who, but we know you will have fun trying to guess.

                     Santa Tim Connaghan, celebrating his 40^th year as a Santa, and director of the International University of Santa Claus, one of the world’s largest Santa Schools.  He has also been Santa for Coca-Cola, the Today Show, Deal or No Deal, the Hollywood Christmas Parade, Dr. Phil, the Tonight Show, J.C. Penney, Planter’s, Ritz Crackers, Old Navy, and the Hallmark Channel.

What:           “Santa Cruise II” combining a full Santa School with a 7- night “Voyage of the Glaciers” cruise aboard the Diamond Princess, with visits to Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway and Anchorage, and followed by a 4-night land tour through Denali National Park with a 2-night stay in Denali, a 2-night stay in Fairbanks, and the finale,, a visit to the Santa Claus House at North Pole.

“School4Santas” - While at sea, the Santas will begin preparations for the 2009 Christmas Season as they receive special training during an on-board, three-day school.  All Graduates receive a BSC, “Bachelor of Santa Claus” Diploma, and instantly become members of the school’s alumni association, “The Red Suit Society.”  Six of the attending Santas will be receiving their “Master’s” Diplomas.  Details can be found at www.School4Santas.com

                     “No Santa Suits!” -  Due to the Alaskan climate, the classroom training environment, and mostly because the Santas are also vacationing, they will not be wearing their traditional red suits.  However, be assured that the official color each day is, “RED,” and you definitely will see the Santas in RED travel-wear, with their ‘real’ white beards and wearing their traditional RED Santa hats!

Where:         Departing Vancouver with visits to Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway, and Anchorage, followed by tours to Denali, Fairbanks and a Ceremonial closing event at North Pole and the Santa Claus House.

When:          Saturday, May 23 through Wednesday June 3.  (See accompanying detailed itinerary)

Why:            School4Santas is presented by The International University of Santa Clausä and is the only school that travels to different cities across the U.S. and Canada.  Over 1500 Santas and Mrs. Claus have attended the School since it opened in 2003, and it is the largest annual Santa Training School in the World.  Its director, Santa Tim Connaghan is celebrating his 40^th year as a professional Santa.

#  #  #  #

For more information on IUSC, School4Santas, RealSantas.com or The Red Suit Society, please visit our main web site at http://www.thekringlegroup.com for more information on Santa Tim, visit: www.SantaHollywood.com

Santa Cruise I -  Caribbean Princess 2007

School4Santas  2007 - ©Los Angeles Times

Santa Cruise II     Cruise/Tour/School Itinerary      May 23 – June 3, 2009

ABOUT SANTA TIM

Celebrating his 40^th year as a Santa, Tim Connaghan is an accomplished performer, storyteller, comedian, magician, professional speaker, the author of “Behind the Red Suit – the Business of Santa Claus,”  He was the first Executive Director and is now Past President of the international Amalgamated Order of Real Bearded Santas, an organization he took over in 2003 with 200 members and which he developed into an international organization that carries a registry of over 1300 ‘real bearded’ gentlemen who share the joys of being Santa.  In 2006 he directed the world’s first ever ‘Real Santa’ convention “Discover Santa,” with attendance by over 500 Santas, Mrs. Claus and Santa Helpers. 

As a “24/7/356-Santa,” and an entrepreneur, Santa Tim is President of The Kringle Group, LLC, a collection of Santa and Christmas related companies including: RealSantas; School4Santas; SantasWardrobe; Casual Claus; Summer Santa; Premiere Santa; Santa Visits; Find a Santa; the Red Suit Society and Santa Hollywood.

RealSantas.com, is one of America’s largest suppliers of 'real bearded' Santas, with clientele ranging from families and local organizations to Fortune 500 companies.  These include: Coca-Cola,  MasterCard, J.C. Penney, Nordstrom, Sak’s Fifth Avenue (NYC), MasterCard National campaign, and other major event locations.

Seeing a need for quality, trained Santas,  in 2003 he started the  International University of Santa Claus (IUSC), also known as the School4Santas.com, which offers special training programs via one and two-day regional schools in selected cities across the U.S.  Over 1,200 have attended our regional workshops in the past five years.  Today the IUSC is the largest annual Santa School in the World.

SantasWardrobe.com and CasualClaus.com are retail outlets where Professional Santas can find everything from custom-made Santa Suits, boots, belts and accessories, to special casual wear for the other 364 days of the year.

Santa Tim has been seen by millions while appearing on Dr. Phil, Deal or No Deal, the Today Show, the Tonight Show, Mad-TV, and as the official Santa for the City of Los Angeles and the Hollywood Santa Parade.  He has appeared in advertisements and commercials for such clients as J.C. Penney, Kraft, Nabisco, Planter's, Ritz, Dannon, Old Navy, and Cool Whip.  Tens of thousands of children and their families have been delighted with visits from Santa Tim, along with special events and private parties for hundreds of organizations and corporations including Capitol Records, Hallmark, In N Out Burgers, KIIS-FM, Los Angeles Country Club, Southwest Airlines, The USO, The Salvation Army, The St. Regis Resort and Spa, The Regent Beverly Wilshire, McDonalds, Marvin and Barbara Davis, Reese Witherspoon and Steven Spielberg.

A native Californian, Tim Connaghan has performed, entertained and produced special events throughout California for over 30 years, including community theatre, performing magic, producing shows at the Hollywood Bowl and Universal Amphitheater, and announcing at the Coliseum. 

His voice ranges from the tenor & baritone styles of Gary Owens and Don Pardo to the bass styles of Thurl Ravenscroft,  to the comic diversity of characters including Mickey, Goofy, Bullwinkle, Barney, and Tony the Tiger, studying with famed character voice artist June Foray.  Having performed in Community Theater and light opera, his comic timing and tenor/baritone range are well received.  He is comfortable in front of any audience whether it is four, forty, or forty thousand.

Starting as a broadcast journalist, Tim spent almost a decade as a News Director and radio personality in Central and Southern California.  While in radio, he found his talent for fund raising, which began a 25-year career raising millions of dollars working for the Muscular Dystrophy Association, the March of Dimes, the City of Hope, and the American Cancer Society.  He has appeared on over seventy televised programs, news conferences and media events.

He has over 2,000 hours in the air as a tactical observer in helicopters and loves riding roller coasters.  He officially opened Knott's Berry Farm’s ‘The Silver Bullet,' the fastest, highest and longest roller coaster ride on the West Coast.  On opening day, he rode the new coaster 17 times for live video feeds across the United States.  He said, "It was like flying with the reindeer, lots of loops, turns and corkscrew twists!"  He hopes one day to experience the thrill of flying in a fighter jet.