P.E.I. man spreads smiles, joy by becoming a Christmas elf

The junior kindergarten kids in the Zion church basement in Charlottetown sit on the edge of their seats, waiting for the arrival of a special guest.

They haven't been told who's coming, except that it's not Santa. 

And then it's time for the big reveal. "It's an elf!" shouts one of the kids as Monty Hennessey dances into the room. 

He's wearing a green and red hat, red and white leggings, bells on his green turned-up toes, and even a string of mini lights to highlight his costume. 

The kids are overwhelmed. So is Monty the Elf.

"Just pure joy," he said, although he had been a bit worried about how the children might react.

'I just became the elf'

"But when I saw their faces and them jumping up and down, it just took that all away from me and I just became the elf."

During his short visit, Monty the Elf danced and laughed and smiled with the kids, winding up with Jingle Bells.

"We had a lovely time," Hennessey said. "And the kids, I don't know if they were more excited or if I was more excited."

But Hennessey was in a much darker space back in March 2016. That's when his older sister Bonnie passed away at age 60. Hennessey was devastated for months. 

He knew he had to do something to lift his spirits. Monty the Elf was born.

"I've always been a little bit crazy or off the wall just like my father and the rest of the family." 

'If it helps one person smile'

Last Christmas, Hennessey put together an elf costume, and began posting pictures on his Facebook page.  

"If it helps one person smile and get a laugh at Christmas time and makes them feel a little more in the Christmas spirit. as well as myself, then it would be well worth it," he said.

The elf has made numerous public appearances, from his local Lion's Club to dance shows. In fact, the response has been so overwhelming that Hennessey decided to upgrade his outfit.

"This year, I went all out and I bought this one at the North Pole, of course, I got specially made."

Hennessey has always been trying to brighten everyone's day. For 30 years, he worked as a medical lab technician at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Charlottetown, collecting blood samples from the different units. 

Although he couldn't wear a costume on the job for sanitary reasons, he did manage to find a way to deliver smiles.

"I use to decorate my little basket that I carried my test tubes and needles in," Hennessey said. "It had the little lights like I'm wearing now and some garland around and even that just brightened the patients and the staff, their spirits."

'Made it all worthwhile tenfold'

Hennessey would dance in and out of the rooms. But the pediatrics unit was where he shone most.

"There was little sick kids and to see a smile on a sick child's face just made all the difference to me, made it all worthwhile tenfold."

Hennessey knows his sister Bonnie is looking down at him. 

"She knows that we're a family of pranksters and jokers and to do this in her memory especially, she would be very proud and if she was here, I'm sure she'd be joining me as a female elf."

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