Gonna Need a Bigger Sleigh

Santa will arrive at the T-Rex shark tank at The Legends today with a fat sack of algae sheets for all the good little Heterodontus galeatuses and other saltwater fish. That's right: Santa feeds the sharks at 8 a.m. today, after which he'll be available for consultation with your kids. Head Curator Paul Edgerton portrays Santa inside the shark tank. While wearing scuba gear, the 26-year-old Edgerton is a passable Santa. He's less convincing out of the water, so a kid-befuddling switcheroo with another Santa stand-in will occur once the fish are full. "It's a real blast," Edgerton says. "I'm wearing a wetsuit under my costume. I get out of the tank, and another Santa has been waiting above the tank the whole time, unseen." Other than the Santa costume, it's not too different from a regular day. "I have to dive all the tanks, feed the fish. I'm in charge of making sure that all our aquarium exhibits are show-quality. We have bamboo sharks, an Australian horn shark, a coral reef cat shark, and many other saltwater tropical fish too numerous to mention." Photos with Santa cost $10 and benefit Providence Medical Center and St. John Hospital; kids can decorate a plate for Santa's cookies for $5, benefiting the Children's Museum of Kansas City. Call 913-334-8888 for details.
Sat., Dec. 22, 8 a.m., 2007