"The lighting of our city Christmas tree is this Friday," said Kimberlee McKee, president of the Downtown Akron Partnership, "and so far, we have been unable to locate the guest of honor." The city’s annual lighting and fireworks show is Friday night at Lock 3 at 7:00pm.

Attached to the missing persons report is a copy of an Akron Beacon Journal story, dated July 29, which leads with the sentence, "Akron is canceling Christmas."

"It appears that many people remember this one line of the newspaper story," said Mckee, "but they don’t remember that the rest of the story described how even if our Holidayfest and Chriskindl Market would be down-sized due to the city’s budget, Downtown Akron would still be hosting the holidays for our community. I’m guessing that Santa Claus read the story and has gone missing from Akron."

Akron police chief Craig Gilbride accepted the written report for the missing person - one ‘Santa Claus,’ aka ‘Father Christmas, Kris Kringle, or St. Nick,’ other aliases. The report states that he was last seen at Lock 3 in Akron on December 25, 2008.

Described as having snow-white hair, ice-blue eyes, with a belly that wiggles ‘like a bowlful of jelly,’ his DOB is listed as "unknown."

Previously, Akron Mayor Don Plusquellic announced reductions in the city’s winter budget, but he told reporters that this year it was particularly important that Akron offer low-cost entertainment to families - especially those who are hurting because of job reductions. The Lock 3 Ice rink opened Saturday. Admission is free. Skate rental is $2.

Plusquellic explained that because of generous grants from the Knight Foundation, the Akron Community Foundation, FirstMerit Bank, Goodyear, Bridgestone, and a dozen other businesses, almost all of the cost of the ice rink was being paid from non-public sources.

The Friday night lighting ceremony and fireworks display is being sponsored entirely by the Downtown Akron Partnership.

"It’s become an annual tradition to kick-off the holidays in Downtown with fireworks and the lighting of our Christmas tree," said McKee. "But unless we find Santa Claus before Friday, it just won’t be the same."

Lock 3 planners say they have confirmed an appearance Friday by Mrs. Claus, who has advised them that Santa has been gone from his home for weeks, and will be in Akron only if there’s a display of real community spirit. To that end, the Friday lighting show will feature representatives of the Akron-Canton Regional Food Bank, the Furnace Street Mission, and Elves & More to demonstrate the amount of holiday spirit that Akron has to offer.