Santa's House Offers Twice the Season's Joy

Once again, Santa's House at Fashion Island is doing double duty for kids this holiday season.

Children get their photos taken with Santa there—and give him their wish lists. And then a portion of proceeds of the photo fees go to HomeAid Orange County, which provides shelter to homeless children and their families.

Santa's House was created in 2000 by custom-home builder Dave Mulvaney, whose family donated it to Fashion Island. Since then it has raised $55,000 through the Santa photos.

Every year, Fashion Island provides HomeAid Orange County with free passes for every child living in a HomeAid-built shelter to have his or her photo taken with Santa. That may be the only holiday photo some will have, says the Irvine-based group. 

The late Mulvaney, a longtime donor of custom miniature homes for Project Playhouse, took up an offer by the Irvine Co. to build Santa’s House on the condition that each year, a minimum of $5,000 of revenues from photography would go to HomeAid Orange County, and that children living in shelters would be able to get their pictures with Santa taken for free.

Said Mulvaney's widow, Linda: “Santa’s House was the most cherished and beloved house my husband ever built in his entire career.” 

Santa’s House opened for the season Nov. 13 and will close Dec. 24.