Chris Page of Shake Rag Barbershop stands beside the cardboard cutout of “Santa Thomas” made by the Warren County Public Library he has standing behind a styling chair in the shop on Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2020. (Grace Ramey/photo@bgdailynews.com)

It was shaping up as maybe the Grinch’s fondest wish, a Christmas season with no in-person appearances by Santa Claus and no toddlers sitting on the lap of the white-bearded symbol of every child’s favorite holiday.

The pandemic that stole Christmas.

It seemed enough to make those who portray Santa in parades, at shopping malls and at other public events put their Santa suits in mothballs until next December, when the coronavirus presumably will be little more than a bad memory.

But, like the Whos down in Whoville, Bowling Green’s best-known Santa has taken what was looking like a lemon of a Christmas season and turned it into some pretty sweet lemonade.

Robert Karrick, who this time of year normally is ho-ho-ho-ing in a sackful of parades and other public events, has not only continued his “Santa Bob” persona but has expanded his reach through technology that rivals the best North Pole wizardry.

Karrick isn’t just nationwide; thanks to a partnership with a Nashville entertainment company, he now has the potential international reach of the genuine North Pole article.

And it almost never happened.

Karrick, a 72-year-old who started playing Santa in 2008 and has since portrayed the Christmas icon at Holiday World, Churchhill Downs and in innumerable parades, was ready to write off this holiday season.

“I had pretty much canceled all in-person visits,” he said. “The parades had all gone virtual or been canceled altogether. I had everyone’s safety in mind, along with my own.”

Then along came Nashville’s Matt Davenport Productions, which had come up with an idea called “Santa Live from the North Pole” that gives youngsters an opportunity to chat with Santa not from his lap but from a laptop.

Karrick, thanks to his website and social media presence, made the production company’s “nice” list and was one of the top choices to portray the online Santa.

“I found Santa Bob online,” said Vanessa Wohlers, senior creative director for Matt Davenport Productions. “He was who I envisioned as Santa.

“He has been with us from the beginning and has done most of our calls and promotional videos. He embodies everything about Santa Claus. He’s been a joy to work with.”

Still, Karrick nearly turned down the opportunity to participate in the money-making venture.

“I thought maybe I’d just take the season off,” he recalled.

But Wohlers was persistent, and Karrick was partly won over by the fact that MDP was donating a portion of the proceeds to the Pay Away the Layaway nonprofit organization that pays off the remaining layaway balances of families in need.

So, in the comfort of his home, Karrick has been visiting with children from South Carolina to California and from Canada to the United Kingdom.

“It has been so cool,” said Karrick. “I’ve done at least a dozen online interviews with TV stations. I’ve visited with kids all over the United States and several other countries.

“The parents sign up for time for their children, and they get seven to 10 minutes online. It’s a personalized virtual visit with Santa. It has gone very well.”

While expanding his reach through the “Santa Live” program, Karrick hasn’t forgotten his roots. He still has a presence this year in Bowling Green, thanks to the Warren County Public Library.

The library’s Sensational Snow Days winter reading program has given Karrick the chance to work some more Christmas magic by appearing at several locations simultaneously.

Veronica Rainwater, the WCPL’s youth services manager, explained that the library brought Santa Bob in for a photo session and had cardboard cutouts made that are displayed at Chuck E. Cheese, Shoe Carnival and other high-traffic locations where children can have pictures made with this virtual Santa.

The library has also encouraged youngsters to write letters to Santa that can be dropped off at various locations around the city. On the Fridays leading up to Christmas, Karrick reads some of the letters in a Facebook Live video.

Karrick is also participating from home in the library’s Zoom video with the Reindeer Farm on Warren County’s Old Union Church Road.

“We wanted to partner with Santa Bob like we do every year,” said Rainwater. “We got creative this year to make sure we could protect him and others.”