Almost 50 years ago, Gary DeMaria, then a sophomore at Needham High School, had a typical summer job: He worked as a counselor for Needham Park & Recreation, and he loved it so much that he did it for nine years. Today, many people know him as “Needham Santa,” but since that first foray into family programming, he has helped launch many activities and events that have become Needham staples.
Studying psychology and child development in college, DeMaria said he was planning to become a teacher. “(I) realized this probably is not going to pay me very well,” he said. His career took a turn toward technology, but his passion for youth and family programming remained strong.
Since 1991, DeMaria has helped launch countless initiatives he estimates have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for charity and for the programs themselves. It all began with trying to purchase a $30,000 spring mat for the high school gymnastics team he was coaching at the time. An unlikely former gymnast at 6 feet — DeMaria competed on floor and pommel horse in high school — he knew they needed new equipment. He had the idea to offer a Saturday morning program to help raise the funds. Needham High School Varsity Gymnastics, which began as a one-time fundraiser, now serves some 200 children each year and sells out within hours of opening registration.
Participating in the Saturday workshops is a requirement of being on the team, said DeMaria. “But a lot of them really like it and want to do it.” So much so that even injured athletes often come to help with lessons and share their passion for the sport.
DeMaria and his wife, Donna, whom he describes as a creative genius and is his partner in most of his initiatives, often give all of their waking hours outside of work to these community building activities. Among their many other projects, they originated or worked on a Halloween haunted house that they host each year, a family-based Needham scavenger hunt and a luminary stroll where Needham neighborhoods are lit with lanterns. DeMaria is also part of the team that provides activities and refreshments for the annual Blue Tree lighting.
For six summers, the couple also ran a camp out of their backyard for 50 children. DeMaria said it was inspired by the disappearance of children playing outside. The program, spotlighted on WBZ news in 2016, featured a back yard with a waterslide, a trampoline and a diverse offering of games and activities. Eventually, though, it was shut down by zoning regulations.
DeMaria said it was tough to see that program end, and admitted he finds it difficult to abandon programs he’s started. “I don’t really have exit strategies.”
Each December, the DeMaria house becomes a minefield of gifts and wrapping paper, he said. Donning the eponymous red suit with extra padding, DeMaria is in his comfort zone as Santa Claus. Needham Santa was initiated by the Women’s Club in 1975, but when the group decided to abandon the program in 2016, DeMaria took it over.
For a contribution of $15, though many people choose to donate more, Needham Santa brings presents provided by parents to children on Christmas Eve. DeMaria also added a charitable component that enables 20% of Santa visits to families that need assistance purchasing gifts. In 2024, DeMaria and his team of Santas visited 110 households. This year, donations are behind schedule, but people can still contribute until Christmas and there are still a few spots left for Santa visits.
With his passion for community programming, DeMaria has been part of ongoing lobbying efforts to persuade the town to broaden its recreational offerings. Over the past decade, he said his initiatives have been absorbed by Needham Community Action Network (Needham CAN), a 501(c)(3) that acts as both co-sponsor and advocate of community-based activities. Formerly the Community Center of Needham, the group’s first mission was advocating for a community center and an indoor pool — both unrealized goals. The group’s advocacy did succeed in convincing the town to adopt a two-pool design at Rosemary. That allowed competitive and recreational swimming to coexist, and the facility to remain open when one of the pools needed maintenance, such as during last year’s salsa spill.
Ellen Dudley, current Needham CAN co-president, described DeMaria as “the backbone of Needham CAN. He can pull everything together at the last minute, and does it in a very big way.”
Dudley said their mission is to collaborate with other groups. “We’re trying to get the skate park built and trying to get Pollard a theater.”
“Somebody has to take the megaphone and be the town crier and let everybody know what’s happening,” DeMaria said.
Save as PDF