BARNESVILLE, Pa. — He's a mean one. The creature who once plotted to steal Christmas is back at it again. But instead of terrorizing passersby, he's spreading the joy of the season, accompanied by some of Santa's elves.
"My daughter had an idea: since the pandemic had pretty much everything closed down, to come out and spread some holiday cheer. We had such a warm response," Chris Wagoner said.
The Grinch first appeared in Schuylkill County last year, waving to vehicles as they passed the post office in Barnesville. He's made house calls too, even stopping at a local elementary school.
The Grinch started to steal the attention of cars passing by on Route 54, and people stopped to ask if they could donate.
"Last year, we didn't have anything in mind, but this year we just lost our grandmother. So we have a couple different donation places in mind," Wagoner said.
The Grinch is giving donations to the American Cancer Society and Hospice care this year. Even if people choose not to give, the Grinch hopes they receive warm feelings from his season's greetings.
"Everybody is driving by, waving or smiling. Everybody deserves to smile a little bit. That's basically what we're here to do, just help someone smile. "
Don't be fooled by his ghoulish stare, it's what's inside that counts. His heart is three sizes larger than normal, after all. The Grinch plans to welcome the season every afternoon until Christmas.
Want to see more holiday stories? Check out the WNEP YouTube channel.