David Kadlubowski/Arizona Republic

Fox Restaurant Concepts Beverage Director Mat Snapp tells his story during the Arizona Storytellers Holiday Spectacular on Dec. 21, 2015, at the Arizona Biltmore.

KJZZ partners with the Arizona Republic to bring you the Arizona Storytellers series. We record the live events and share them with you on the radio. In Phoenix, the storytellers sometimes share stories about our community or the life events that have shaped them in general. Megan Finnerty is the creator of the series. 

When Mat Snapp was growing up, he and his father were really close. Christmas was his dad’s favorite holiday and every year, Snapp and his dad staged elaborate displays around the house to convince Snapp’s younger sister that Santa had stopped by. One year, Snapp gifted his father a trip to Hawaii. But his father passed away after a sudden heart attack while on vacation. So Snapp and his family returned to his parents’ home in Denver for the funeral. It was a difficult time for them all.

Mat Snapp is the Beverage Director for Fox Restaurant Concepts.

The next storytelling event is July 11, 2016, at the Crescent Ballroom in Downtown Phoenix.

→ Hear More Arizona Storytellers