SAVE SANTA

What if I have no Credit Card or PayPal account. How can I contribute?

You can also make a transaction to the following secure and trusted bank account:

Name: Christian Lehner

Banking Institute: Erste Bank

IBAN:   AT732011182212499200

BIC:   GIBAATWWXXX

-Because of legal issues, we had to set up a bank account in place of Santa, on which he has full rights.

-When donating via Transaction, please make sure to let us know who you are and how much you've donated, so Santa can maybe bring you a little christmas present!

                                          -- UPDATE  --

Check the "Update" & "Gallery" Tab above for new Video Updates & Images of Santa's Life!

Read below for info on how this campaign started, what Santa needs the money for, and how you can help.

THE STORY

"Hi, I am Michael Hampton Klein,

known for many years around the world as Santa Claus.

I was born in Halethorpe, MD, on August 24th 1940, having been raised by a large family in the country.

I started hitchhiking at the age of 13.

During the many years of hitchhiking, I visited 48 states in the US and 81 countries on 6 continents, travelling more then 1 million miles.
Unofficially, but not yet in the Guiness Book, I hold the World Record!

My entire life has been dedicated to hard work.
From an early age, I worked for my father. Later in life I bought, sold and traded antiques and jewelry all over the world.  I was hitchhiking too, experiencing many different adventures, where I would collect all the artifacts which helped me to open my incredibly successful "Treasure Chest" store in St. Augustine, FL. 

I had a very unique lifestyle. 

During my lifetime I followed the ancient true history and spirit of St. Nicholas; Giving, sharing and helping those around me.
I was always giving generously from myself and my money to hundreds of people.
My respect of life led me on this path, and is the reason why I became Santa Claus.

But now I'm ill.
I'm 72 years old and without insurance.
For more than a year I have endured severe pain in my spine, knees and legs.
I'm crippled and cannot walk further than 8 feet. I'm almost totally confined to sitting, or laying.
By the will of the universe I can still remain, with the help of friends, living alone and independently.
The rent, electricity bills and my medical expenses, I have spent all of my life's savings.

Now I need your help to pay for spinal and knee operations. 

I could walk again, sell my postcards and remain independent and complete my life's work on my book. If you can make a donation of 25 dollars or more, I will send you one of my signed postcards. Thank you for your blessings and your kindness,

Respectfully yours, 

Santa

 
Foto: © Markus Wetzlmayr, www.wet-photo.at

WHAT'S THIS ABOUT?

We are friends of Michael "Santa" Klein, knowing & loving this man for quite some time.
Most of us met him somewhere in a pub selling his postcards or telling people stories from different adventures he had during his life hitchhiking.

He is a fascinating and very unique person, someone with gigantic sympathy and a very strong aura of life surrounding him. Maybe one of the last of his kind!
You really know that this man has seen a LOT the moment you meet him.
Many, many stories follow him wherever he goes.

We really want to help him, we want to get him out of his miserable situation, get him walking again, make him be able to live without help from others again.

This is when we had the idea of creating this campaign for him, raising funds to pay for the costs of his much needed operations.

WHAT HE NEEDS:

Even a complete diagnosis would cost money, so these numbers below are rough estimates made by respected doctors:

• Get a proper & complete diagnosis on his health status
• Get his knees repaired ~ $80,000
• Removal of severe arthritis from his spine ~ $10,000
• Bed in the Hospital  ~ $1,100 / per day
• Prostate Operation ~ several thousand dollars
  
  

WHY ARE WE DOING THIS?

We believe that a man like Santa, who's lived a life like his, simply deserves to be cared for.

He is not only a really good friend, he's a symbol for many things that we as society miss out on.
A symbol for a deep hole in our social system, in which many people can easily stumble & fall, even if they are hard working folk like him.

We, as a big human family, should learn to care for our old, for our weak, for the ones that deserve our respect & love, especially in times like these.

And of course, what better Christmas story could there be then the rescue of "Santa Claus?"

Let's ask ourselves -  what would fill us with more joy & satisfaction?

Buying more stuff for Christmas (that you maybe don't even really need), or helping a man like him survive, get his legs back, and help him care for himself again?

We really believe that it is actions & deeds like this, helping others that are in great need, that we can forever look back on, and we can say to ourselves:
"Yes, here I have done something that was really good."

HOW YOU CAN HELP

You can help by making a financial pledge of any size, even $10 will be an enormous help. 

You can also help by directing people to this page, tell your friend's and family about it.

Also share this campaign and the video on Facebook or Twitter!

FACEBOOK FAN-SITE: https://www.facebook.com/savetherealsanta

Video link(Copy&Paste):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjWbvO2dxqc

Where does the money go?

If this Campaign is succesfull and we reach our set goal, Indiegogo.com takes 4 % of the total share ( 9% if we don't reach the set goal, so please contribute!!)

Apart from that, 100% of the money goes directly to support Santa, to pay the needed operations & everything else involved with that as soon as possible.


We who create this campaign for him will not take one single cent of the money gathered.

What happens after this campaign is over?

Once the campaign is over, we will continue to inform you on this page with any news  and updates about Santa.

We plan on accompanying Santa on his way through the times of operation & therapy with our cameras, and create a documentary film out of it, about how your help saved this man's life!

 If you want any more information on him, his situation or this campaign, feel free to let us know! We will also update this page with any news that we have got for you

Thank you very, very, very much for your kind contribution!