Gifts Intended For Kids At The Children's Hospital Of Alabama

It had all the markings of a well-oiled Christmas machine. Santa Claus arrived by state police helicopter Thursday, the first of 16 aircraft that would arrive on the helipad of the old Children’s Hospital in Birmingham, AL, while young patients at the new Children's Hospital of Alabama nearby watched from their rooms.

The arrival was part of an effort led by area law enforcement to deliver some 2,000 toys collected recently for distribution through the hospital's Sugar Plum toy shop to patients, according to a report appearing in AL.com, an Alabama online news site. The toys actually had to be brought in by ground vehicles prior to the helicopter parade, but law enforcement helicopters from across the state flew one-by-one to the helipad and unloaded brightly-colored bags. Even if the toys weren't actually them, it was a great scene for the kids.

The helicopter drop-off was the brainchild of Dale County (AL) Chief Deputy Tim McDonald, who was also one of the plots for the "toylift."

Dale County Sheriff Wally Olson said that his county alone contributed about 1,000 toys to the effort, with a small Neighborhood Watch group in his county collecting 75 toys. Coffee County Sheriff Sutton said everyone knows these are not easy economic times for a lot of people, but "when it comes to a child, people open their hearts."

FMI: www.childrensal.org