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!)

FMI: www.navy.mil, www.wish.org