Dan Bross, KUAC – Fairbanks
A few remote villages are getting an early shot of holiday spirit as the National Guard flies Santa Claus in for pre-Christmas visits. Operation Santa has been bringing Jolly Old Saint Nick to villages for over half a century, delivering gifts, food, clothes and holiday music to some of Alaska’s most isolated communities. Hoonah had a visit from Santa last week and Alaska National Guard spokeswoman Kalei Rupp says this week Santa visited Pilot Station and Holy Cross, flying on an Alaska National Guard Blackhawk helicopter out of Bethel. When the weather clears they will go to Little Diomede near Nome also.
One of the first villages to have a visit from the National Guard and Santa was the interior village of Tanana.
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