It's the youngsters who make it worthwhile, Dalcourt said. He was making an appearance at the Railroad Museum in Sioux City one winter when a child approached him.

"One little girl, she looked so sad, and all she wanted to do was give me a hug. That kind of stuck with me," he said. "For a character who's got such a bad rap, for a character with all his negativities, they're drawn to him. They think he's the bee's knees. They're interacting with you and shouting out 'Grinch! Grinch! Grinch!' It's amazing."

Each appearance requires nearly two hours of preparation — special contacts, prosthetics attached with a rubber cement-like substance, lengthened eyelashes, additional makeup, and three layers of clothing including a $1,000 custom Grinch suit over a sweat-wicking undergarment and Santa coat.

Dalcourt, who also offers Monster Karaoke and DJ Services, wants every child he meets to walk away with a smile. "I want them to see a little more the jovial side of the Grinch, more than the mean guy who's going to burn down the tree and trash the house," he said. "Most kids are enamored by the Grinch, and I would hate for that to change because one guy in a suit didn't play nice."