For the 12th year, Navy squadron "delivers" 70 Make-A-Wish
children to North Pole
Christmas came early for
more than 70 Make-a-Wish children and their families when they
boarded two of Fleet Logistics Support Squadron (VR) 52’s
aircraft on the base’s flight line for their Fantasy Flight
to the North Pole December 4.
For the last twelve years, the Taskmasters have joined forces
with the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Philadelphia & Southeastern
Pennsylvania to make a holiday wish come true for disabled and
health challenged children living with life-threatening medical
conditions.
“Some of the kids have been here before, but for most of
them, this is their first time with us. So they have no idea
we’re going to take them on the airplane and fly them to the
North Pole,” said Chief Aviation Electronics Technician Mary
C. Heburn, the Fantasy Flight coordinator. “It’s very
exciting for them, and it’s always rewarding to see the
smiles on their faces.”
“I love to see the kids happy,” said Aviation
Maintenance Administrationman 1st Class Megan Ahlquist of Patrol
Squadron (VP) 66, the Chief Elf for the flight. “They love to
see us dressed as elves, and they look forward to seeing Santa
Claus. It makes their day, and it’s always a special
experience for me. I’ve been volunteering for the Fantasy
Flight for five years, and I came back this year, even though
I’m no longer assigned to VR-52.”
Thanks to favorable
tailwinds, the flight time to the North Pole was about 30 minutes.
The elven flight crew led the passengers in singing Christmas
carols throughout the trip, and Santa Claus greeted the children on
arrival. Just after the flights departed for the return trip to
Willow Grove, a jolly old aviator with a white beard dressed in a
red, fur-trimmed flight suit loaded his sleigh with presents and
followed the Skytrains to Willow Grove for a Christmas party in
Hangar 80. During both legs of the flight, the plane’s window
shades were kept closed, so as not to reveal the classified route
to and from the North Pole.
“Meeting Santa was my favorite part of the day,”
said Grace Foster, one of the children who attended the party.
“The plane [ride] was fun, too. I liked hearing the pilots
radio the North Pole before we landed there.”
While waiting for Santa to arrive, the guests enjoyed a buffet
lunch and a wide range of activities, including a petting zoo, a
speed pitch booth, a movie lounge, face painting, balloon animal
making and a fun house.
“The experience is amazing,” said the appropriately
named Chief Aviation Electrician’s Mate (AW/NAC) Nick Noell,
who donned the Santa suit for the day. “I had one little girl
give me a hug and say ‘I love you’ almost as soon as I
got here. It was really touching. These children are so sick, and
we get to bring a little joy to their day. There’s not a
better feeling in the world.”
The party was not only an opportunity to bring happiness to a
group of Make-a-Wish children, it was also a tribute to the
volunteers’ teamwork and the fulfillment of weeks of
collecting donations, wrapping presents and coordinating
activities.
“This is our one big opportunity as a squadron to help out
our community,” said Heburn. “The fact that we’re
bringing pleasure to kids who are terminally ill makes the event
even more special.”
“I probably enjoyed myself nearly as much as the kids
did,” said Lisa Rhodes, a VR-52 spouse and first-time
volunteer, who donned a Winnie the Pooh costume for the occasion.
“I liked seeing the kids happy, and it was gratifying to see
them running around and playing. I’ll definitely come back
and be part of this next year.”
(Our thanks to Journalist 1st Class (SW) Mike Kramer, Naval
Air Reserve Willow Grove Public Affairs for a great story. ANN
salutes the dedication of VR-52 to the Make-A-Wish children. Way to
go, folks!)