Now Boarding: Flight 1225 to North Pole

panthera

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Now boarding: Flight 1225 to North Pole

Fantasy flights a treat for ill and disadvantaged kids around the country

“It was a mad house.”

That’s how Julee McCully, a screener for the Transportation Security Administration described the security checkpoint at the normally quiet, orderly Spokane International Airport.

Carolers were crooning Christmas classics in the terminal lobby. Eighty of Santa’s elves were trying to get 60 kids from this year’s “nice” list through security for Alaska Airline’s secret Flight 1225 (get it?) to the North Pole. And alarms kept going off at the metal detector.


“It was all those jingle bells,” McCully said. “The elves had metal bells sewn onto their clothes and stuffed into these little purses that said ‘Elf Stuff.’ It was like a puzzle finding all the bells on each elf. My hands were covered in elf glitter after just the first pat-down.”

Elves? A secret flight to the North Pole? What is this, a Hallmark/Homeland Security Christmas special?

Well, yes, sort of.

Thanks to the efforts of airline and airport employees, the TSA, sponsors, donors and an army of secret Santas, plane loads of seriously ill and/or disadvantaged children have been taking off for the North Pole not just from Spokane, but from Chicago, San Antonio, Phoenix and a sleigh-load of other cities around the country.

much more at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34538170/ns/travel-tips/
 
A group, here in the DC area, at one time did something similar out at Dulles Washington Int airport... the news covered it one year and I swear it was a 3 kleenex box kind of report... you couldn't hold the tears back because it really got ya in the heart to see the kids so excited and filled with radiant joy.

And I admit... this article found my eyes watering up... what a wonderful thing.
 
A group, here in the DC area, at one time did something similar out at Dulles Washington Int airport... the news covered it one year and I swear it was a 3 kleenex box kind of report... you couldn't hold the tears back because it really got ya in the heart to see the kids so excited and filled with radiant joy.

And I admit... this article found my eyes watering up... what a wonderful thing.
I know ~ the article brought tears to my eyes too when I found it. What a wonderful thing to do for these children!! :santa:
 
What a great story. I'm so happy they are going to continue this tradition for the kids. I wouldn't mind going myself......
:woohoo:

Thanks.
 

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