Grieving Man Dresses as Santa Claus & Delivers Christmas Presents to Homeless New Yorkers

New York, NY, December 22, 2016 (Newswire.com) - ​​​Schlepp Films is pleased to announce the release of a heartwarming holiday themed video that captures the spirit and meaning of Christmas. A short film that highlights how a small act of kindness to strangers in need, can create moments of happiness and joy. An upbeat 'feel good' video that will warm the heart and may leave a tear in the eye.

The short film follows a man who was in desperate need of the Christmas spirit, so he sets out on a journey to make the world a little brighter. He walks the streets of New York City dressed as Santa Claus, with a sack full of Blessing Bags, giving them out with big smiles and a hearty "Merry Christmas."

The man dressed as Santa Claus is Mike Connell, a resident of Queens, New York. He recently lost his former wife of 25 years, Mary, to cancer. Though no longer married, they had raised a family of three children together and remained close. Mike was deeply saddened by her loss, and it compelled him to want to do something positive in the world. Therefore, he decided to play the role of Santa Claus and to spread some Christmas magic to those in need of it most.

After seeing posts on social media about 'Blessing Bags' for the homeless, Mike thought they were a great idea and he was determined to make the social media post a reality. Blessing Bags are an assortment of products, made up of 3 main categories: Food, Toiletries, & Warm Clothing.

Santa Mike began by collecting donations in Times Square. He posed for photos with tourists and used the tips he earned to help pay for the packages. He proceeded to walk around the surrounding area and distributed the presents to people on the street with signs asking for help.

Mike had help from a little elf as well. The filmmaker's 7 year old son Seamus McGuire helped to organize, package, and wrap the presents. The 2nd grader also helped handwrite the Christmas cards with heartfelt messages. It was a great learning experience for the child, who took much pride in his role. Seamus was very happy to see the final video and all of the smiles on the faces of the people that the gifts had helped.

The video runs under 3 minutes, but packs in a lot of heart and smiles. The film is a great example of how generosity and kindness at the holiday season can brighten up a person's day.

Merry Christmas!!!

The video was shot by and edited by Chris McGuire, owner of Schlepp Films. Additional photography was provided by Cinematographer Sean Raphael.

About Schlepp Films

Schlepp Films is a media production company that creates a variety of digital video content for internet distribution. The SchleppFilms YouTube channel has nearly 13 million views, and is best known for a viral 'Harlem Shake' video series. The company’s short film 'The Real Harlem Shake' is now featured in the newest Smithsonian museum, the NMAAHC - National Museum of African American History and Culture.

Source: Schlepp Films