Secret Santa hands out $100 bills

KANSAS CITY, Mo., Dec. 14 (UPI) -- A Secret Santa has been handing out holiday cheer in the form of $100 bills in Missouri and Kansas with the help of some city officials, those officials said.

The Santa, who took over for 27-year Secret Santa veteran Larry Stewart, who hand-picked his replacement before his death in 2007, has been handing out the cash at thrift stores and other locations in Kansas City, Mo., and Kansas City, Kan., with the help of Kansas City, Mo., Mayor Sly James and Joe Reardon, mayor of the Unified Government of Wyandotte County in Kansas, the Kansas City (Mo.) Star reported Wednesday.

"This is the first time I've done it with the mayor of anything," said Santa, who is marking his fifth year on the job.

Reardon said he was elated to help Santa pass out the $100 bills.

"That was pretty amazing," Reardon said after handing a bill to a woman outside of a thrift store. "I've never experienced anything quite like that."

James expressed a similar sentiment.

"This is about as cool as it gets," he said. "This is the most fun I've had in a long time."