In December 1983, Springfield teenagers, Phillip Spaulding and Beth Raines ran away to New York City to get away from both Beth's sexually abusive stepfather, Bradley Raines. After they had been running for a while, they found themselves near Central Park and nearly out of money, As Beth was working on some artistic sketches, she and Phillip a sidewalk Santa Claus (who preferred to be called Nick) who asked them if they needed help. When Phillip yelled at Nick to leave them alone, Beth berated him and accepted Nick's help. Beth told the man that they were nearly broke and had no where to stay and could not afford a hotel. Nick, being the Good Samaritan he was and is, took pity on the young teenage couple and urged them to follow him through Central Park. Phillip at first was hesitant, but eventually Beth persuaded him to follow Nick. Nick safely led them out of Central Park to the Delacorte Theatre in Manhattan. When they got safely to the Theatre, Phillip and Beth found that Nick had led them to a place where he had led many people who were lost and homeless, or poor or, down on their luck. Apparently, Nick had turned one of the wings of the Delacorte Theatre into a half-way house. Nick turned them over to the others that were staying there and asked them to watch over Beth and Phillip. As it turned out, Beth and Phillip helped the people there as well. Beth noticed one baby who seemed to be colicky and crying and ,remembering some of the ways her mom, Nurse Lillian Raines, had helped babies in a similar situation, was able to sooth the baby to calm the crying baby. The other people at the Delacorte helped Beth and Phillip with food, provided from Nick and shelter. Then Phillip, realizing the true spirit of the holiday season, read to the crowd O Henry's classic poem for Christmas, "The Gift of the Magi" and, for awhile Phillip and Beth, had a peaceful and fulfilling Christmas. A couple of days after New Year's Day, Phillip and Beth ran into Nick again and thanked him profusely for helping them, but all Nick had to say was, "Well that is my job." He then smiled at Phillip and Beth and after they turned around, he was gone, and in his stead were their friends from Springfield, Mindy Lewis and Rick Bauer.

The following year, Nick showed up in Springfield to help not only Phillip's cousin, Lujack, but also by extension, Beth. At the time, Beth, having been blinded in an explosion, was at a special school for the blind and refusing to see Lujack. In order to see her, Lujack took on the identity of "Lenny", a custodian at the school and Beth found herself opening up to "Lenny." Advice from Nick made Lujack realize why Beth turned to "Lenny" and not himself and led to Lujack and Beth reuniting.
Nick would show up again to Phillip, at Christmastime 1988. At this time, Phillip was in New York City with his family, including his half-brother, Alan Michael, and Alan-Michael's fiancée Harley Cooper. The Spauldings and Coopers were in New York because Harley and Alan-Michael were originally going to marry there. Phillip and Harley met up with Nick who was at a store, near Central Park. When Phillip, briefly, left Harley alone, Harley showed Nick the best gift she got for someone: a biography of F. Scott Fitzgerald for Phillip from a used bookstore in NYC. This was to thank Phillip for the work he'd done in trying to help her ease into the Spaulding world. While in Central Park, Harley lost her wedding ring and Phillip tried to help her find it, but couldn't. Suddenly, Nick appeared to talk to Harley and got her to realize who much she truly loved Alan-Michael. Afterwards, they found the wedding ring and, months later, Harley and Alan-Michael married in Springfield.