'It means everything to the kids': Santa flown in by helicopter to visit Stollery patients
The Royal Canadian Air Force flew a special guest to the Stollery Children's Hospital Wednesday to spread holiday cheer.
As part of Operation HOHOHO, Santa flew in on a Griffon helicopter to visit kids and families at the hospital.
"It means everything to the kids," said Kyra Murdoch, a certified child life specialist. "(For) kids that are here, long term or short term, December is the month that they're going to be talking about Santa and visiting Santa and writing letters to Santa.
"To have Santa come and visit all the kids here, it's just, it's absolutely amazing."
Operation HOHOHO began in 2003 when members of the 400 Tactical Helicopter Squadron delivered toys to the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto.
"Part of our job as child life specialists is to create those normal situations and environments and just having Santa here really brings back the normalcy for these kids and lets them be kids again," Murdoch said.
The event began in Edmonton in 2017 and it's something the kids and the military look forward to each year.
"It's really important for us … coming here and seeing the kids, when we bring Santa in front of them, and we give them their teddy bears, they're so happy, and that means the world to us," said Lt.-Col. Melissa Snook, the commanding officer of the 408 Tactical Helicopter Squadron.
"We love doing it every year and we will keep doing it every year."
It's such a popular event, the crew seats on the helicopter are auctioned off to see who will participate. The money from that is used to buy teddy bears for the kids.
Kids like Michaela Rae, one of the patients at the Stollery, enjoyed meeting Santa. She said her favourite part was seeing him come out of the helicopter.
Snook estimates a few hundred bears have been given to sick kids at the Stollery through this event since it started.
With files from CTV News Edmonton's Evan Kenny
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Trudeau says fall of Assad 'ends decades of brutal oppression' for Syria
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says a new chapter for Syria can begin that's free of terrorism and suffering for its people.
Baby found dead in south Edmonton parking lot: police
Police are investigating the death of an infant in south Edmonton.
Trump calls for immediate ceasefire in Ukraine and says a U.S. withdrawal from NATO is possible
Donald Trump on Sunday pushed Russian leader Vladimir Putin to act to reach an immediate ceasefire with Ukraine, describing it as part of his active efforts as U.S. president-elect to end the war despite being weeks from taking office.
Quebec Premier meets with Trump, Zelenskyy and Musk during Paris trip
Quebec Premier François Legault met up with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, U.S. president-elect Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk while visiting Paris this weekend.
Do you recognize these men? RCMP seek Metro Vancouver grandparent scam suspects
Mounties in Metro Vancouver have released photos of two men alleged to have been involved in “numerous” so-called grandparent scams earlier this year, hoping the public can help identify them.
Pantone names its colour of the year for 2025
Pantone has named an 'evocative soft brown' its colour of the year for 2025, continuing a tradition that has now run for more than a quarter of a century.
Ousted Syrian leader Assad flees to Moscow after fall of Damascus, Russian state media say
Ousted Syrian President Bashar Assad fled to Moscow on Sunday, Russian media reported, hours after a stunning rebel advance took over the capital of Damascus and ended the Assad family's 50 years of iron rule.
A man, a bike and a gun: Police search for evidence to solve the killing of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO on the streets of New York
As the investigation into the fatal shooting of a health care executive in Manhattan enters its fifth day, police are missing key pieces of evidence and are combing through what they have gathered for more clues, as the suspect remains on the run.
Inside the 'brutal' logistical challenge of staging a Formula One Grand Prix
With Formula One cars rocketing around Lusail International Circuit at average speeds comfortably north of 130 miles per hour (210 kilometres per hour), the Qatar Grand Prix was all over in little more than 90 minutes.