- Santa's favorite helper is right here in Bakersfield. Oswaldo Martinez stands proudly decked out in a dark green fabric with a white fluffy collar- complete with snowflake details and little bells on his hat. “Yes, I am the Bakersfield Elf," he says happily.
- 23ABC's Ava Kershner gets to know the elf and talks to a family he helps in the past.
“Yes I am the Bakersfield Elf- The elf from the North Pole,” said Oswaldo Martinez, The Bakersfield Elf.
Oswaldo Martinez spends his holidays just like everyone else- Buying toys, bringing Christmas cheer, and spreading smiles.
Except he does it in an elf costume.
“I used to have one that had like really tight leggings, so I kind of just got some looser clothing this year,” said Martinez.
For the last few years, Martinez dresses up as an elf to go and bring presents to disadvantaged children in Bakersfield.
How he hears their story? All through social media.
“So usually it's all based off of social media. I'll make a post, a lot of them will message me personally. What they are going through, how it's been a hard year for them, many of them have lost their jobs, many of them have a lot of situations. This year I feel that God is leading me to go to Jefferson Park. I've seen that there are a lot of violence in my community,” said Martinez.
Throughout the years, Martinez has made connections with these families- ones like that of Victoria Provencio.
“ At the time we were going through it, my husband fell off of a tank and he got injured. And during that time, during that year and a half we had lost both parents- I lost my dad, he lost his mom. We lost our house and stuff,” said Provencio.
Since Martinez brought her kids those gifts, Provencio’s life has turned around. And this year, she is finally in a place to return the favor.
“I will never forget it. Neither will they and my husband because now we're going to help him out at Jefferson park,” said Provencio.
From saving money from his paycheck as a security guard, to trying to get 100 toys to Bakersfield children this year, Martinez says he does it all for the kids.
“When you give them that toy, when you present them with that toy because in their head and their little minds, they didn’t believe that they were going to get a toy this year so it’s something amazing something beautiful to see when you hand them that toy and they’re like wow like I’m getting a toy,” said Martinez.
Martinez is holding his Bakersfield Elf Event at Jefferson Park on Saturday, Dec. 23 at 11:30 a.m.
To learn more about The Bakersfield Elf, you can head to his Facebook Page.
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