WAINWRIGHT — Santa Claus flew aboard an Alaska National Guard Hercules C-130 for an early visit to Wainwright this year, with gifts for the children, a holiday turkey dinner for all, and music provided by Elmendorf Air Force Base's Alaska Brass band.

The entourage accompanying Mr. and Mrs. Claus on Nov. 3 included state officials, representatives from the Salvation Army, and owners and managers of Anchorage businesses whose firms were major contributors to the party.

There were also several military dignitaries, including Maj. Gen. Craig Campbell, who is the adjutant general of the Alaska National Guard, on hand for the first event of the 51st year of the National Guard's Operation Santa Claus.

After a hearty round of “Jingle Bells” from community residents, accompanied by the Alaska Brass section of the Air Force Band of the Pacific, Mr. and Mrs. Claus made their entrance in the auditorium of Wainwright's Alak School. The band's drummer, Senior Airman Mike Henrie, proved almost as popular as Santa, attracting a crowd of children.

Parents with children and infants were invited to line up first for a visit with Santa, and to receive gifts ranging from stuffed animals to basketballs. Some children in the orderly crowd waited patiently for an hour.

Elders, meanwhile, were invited to be first in line for a hot dinner, prepared by Rick Renaud of Pentagon North Inc., and his staff. Renaud, operator of the cafeteria at the Anchorage Federal Building, served up plates full of hot turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, string beans and lemonade. The dinner, prepared in advance over the past week, arrived hot and ready to serve in large special containers provided by the National Guard.

Sr. Airman Mike Henrie of the Alaska Brass section of the Air Force Band of the Pacific found a captive audience for his beat at Wainwright's Alak School during operation Santa Claus. Photo/Margaret Bauman/AJOC

Renaud said this is the 15th year his company has participated in Operation Santa Claus. Each year his firm provides a holiday dinner for one of the communities Santa visits. This year he chose to serve dinner to more than 600 residents of Wainwright.

Owens, who arrived with well over 600 servings of Tastee Freeze vanilla ice cream in individual cups, was smiling as he asked each person in line “butterscotch, chocolate or strawberry?”

Owens, who joined up with Operation Santa Claus several years ago, said he planned to offer up some 2,000 sundaes this year, to residents of Wainwright, plus Togiak and Kotlik, the two next stops for the Christmas parties.

Costco's Snyder, whose company donated gift bags of fresh fruit for all, also took his turn at the syrup station, which had a steady stream of customers. Coca Cola Co. officials in Anchorage donated bottled water.

Operation Santa Claus got its start in 1956, when nuns who ran a mission school in St. Mary's asked the Alaska National Guard's 144th Airlift Squadron in Anchorage to help make the holiday brighter for children in the village. A drought had greatly depleted the wild game that hunters and trappers would have normally gathered for their families and some 200 children who lived at the orphanage.

The National Guard responded and a tradition was born that has spread to a number of other rural Alaska communities over the passing years.