Compared to Nancy Brumaghim, Santa is a slacker who works maybe one month a year.
That's why Ms. Brumaghim, a whirlwind involved in everything from Richmondville Youth Soccer to the Kindness Crew, is our 2013 Times-Journal Star.
"A lot of what Nancy does flies under the radar," said T-J Publisher Jim Poole.
"That-and the fact that she gets so many people involved in her projects--makes what she gets done all the more impressive. She truly is a Star."
Ms. Brumaghim, 42, is a graduate of Cobleskill Central School who earned undergraduate and then graduate degrees in Elementary and special education from Castleton State College and the College of Saint Rose.
Since 2007, she's worked as program coordinator at the Schoharie County Youth Bureau, where her job includes organizing and leading the SCYB's Adventure Program for as many as 100 kids each summer.
She's also in charge of Youth of Leaders, a program that helps high school sophomore through seniors develop leadership skills through things like community service.
Ms. Brumaghim said her passion for working with kids was ignited by an internship at Ryder elementary in her senior year of high school.
"I always wanted to teach," she said, "but when you work with kids, especially the younger ones, I think you learn more from them than they do from you. I'm so appreciative of what they teach me."
A case in point: Last summer's losing season with her Richmondville soccer eight-year-olds.
"They only won one game, but they never stopped having fun," she said, even when kids on other teams called them losers.
"They told me that made them realize they never want to treat other people that way," she said. "It's a lesson a lot of adults could take away."
Ms. Brumaghim's passion for kids extends to their families and that's where she really shines.
She's Santa's official photographer for Cobleskill's Downtown Christmas and with help from friend and 2010 T-J Star Maggie Jackman-Pryor, she makes sure every kid who wants one gets a free photo of themselves with St. Nick.
She's also done Christmas photos for families who couldn't otherwise afford them.
A member of the Kindness Crew, begun by a group of Cazenovia College friends, including Trista Porn Bradt of Cobleskill, Ms. Brumaghim embraced the first-ever Pajama Project, born while Ms. Bradt and her mother were delivering donated Thanksgiving meals.
"It was a cold day and one little girl wasn't really dressed for the weather," Ms. Brumaghim said. "We thought 'Wouldn't it be nice if we could come up with enough warm pajamas for all the kids who needed them...'"
Friend Eilene Fisher got involved in the effort and before she knew what she was doing, Ms. Brumaghim was posting photos online of herself as an Elf on the Shelf to move things long-and they'd collected 164 pairs of pjs for distribution to families and through agencies like Head Start and the Cobleskill Christmas Collaborative.
They also went to some of the families Ms. Brumaghim and her own "elves" adopt each Christmas; this year there were four.
"I can't say no and it keeps me busy," she said with a laugh. "It's a way to give back to a community that was so good to me when I was growing up.
"I can't imagine children with nothing under the tree so I do what I can-and I have a lot of help. I'm a good 'idea person' but there's no way I'd ever be able to do these things by myself."