Michael T. Mondak speaks to Santa Claus

Dear Mr. Claus:

I say, I say, it's that time of year again?

Even though I celebrated a milestone in my life in July 2025 (my 40th birthday), the year in general had too many changes (becoming an uncle, loss of employment, the launch of Zipelly, five personal losses in a two-month span, e.g.) to count.  I deserve a Christmas miracle of all miracles.

As you might already know, I am known in the Shenango Valley as "The Balloon Man", handing out helium balloons to the children at different events such as the Hermitage Arts Festival, Buhl Day, e.g. What I want to do starting in 2026 is be able to show the folks who are not able to make it to these festivals is for them to see me in action at these events from my point of view.  I would like a GoPro camera that I can attach to my waist or atop my ever-present Penn State hat to take these action videos from my point of view.

In 2025, the Covenant Speed/Power softball team for the ninth consecutive season, retained the Chet Cameron Memorial Trophy as the champions of the Lawrence/Mercer County Church Softball League and will go for a record-breaking tenth consecutive championship in 2026.  I am the voice of the team and do the podcasts of the games, but I still do not have the right equipment to do so.  I would like a set of podcasting equipment to make it easier to call these games.

I made a valiant effort to save the Penn State Shenango campus from shuttering on June 30, 2027 by starting a petition, going on WKBN 27 First News to be interviewed by Shianna Gibbons and Gerry Ricciutti, yet it didn't work.  I want to remedy a major regret from my time as a student there.  That regret was never having been able to play the role of the stately Nittany Lion mascot.  If I could have a replica Nittany Lion mascot costume, then it would remedy that major regret that still eats at me fifteen years after my graduation.  (Oh, and see to it that the university president gets a big lump of coal in her stocking, please!  She hurt the morale of everyone in Mercer County in May!)

I used to close my individual game show episodes urging viewers to help in the fight against childhood cancers by contributing to the Four Diamonds Fund.  From here on out, I'm going to remind viewers to lift hearts wherever they go.  I shall close by asking the same of you to lift hearts wherever you go.

Michael T. Mondak