%PDF-1.7 1 0 obj << /Type /Catalog /Outlines 2 0 R /Pages 3 0 R >> endobj 2 0 obj << /Type /Outlines /Count 0 >> endobj 3 0 obj << /Type /Pages /Kids [6 0 R 19 0 R ] /Count 2 /Resources << /ProcSet 4 0 R /Font << /F1 8 0 R /F2 9 0 R /F3 10 0 R /F4 11 0 R /F5 12 0 R /F6 14 0 R >> /XObject << /I1 15 0 R /I2 16 0 R /I3 23 0 R /I4 24 0 R >> /ExtGState << /GS1 17 0 R /GS2 18 0 R /GS3 21 0 R /GS4 22 0 R >> >> /MediaBox [0.000 0.000 612.000 792.000] >> endobj 4 0 obj [/PDF /Text /ImageC ] endobj 5 0 obj << /Producer (dompdf 1.0.2 + CPDF) /CreationDate (D:20241126162531+00'00') /ModDate (D:20241126162531+00'00') >> endobj 6 0 obj << /Type /Page /MediaBox [0.000 0.000 612.000 792.000] /Parent 3 0 R /Contents 7 0 R >> endobj 7 0 obj << /Filter /FlateDecode /Length 1945 >> stream xX˒۸+nv*5En=δ* I(YI*9=SYT-6%>98㘮fjAYo4-VtfB,i&廟+i?,J]euWZM$Nm%(]6Eܗ͈ ~Ёb'.9^qy(NŔ8J {cq7o/_YDidYF(GSn;7.fջw>iHc UХNjGkݵ+҆q'k>R} $++y3/kaHxI#-= Zn, *e-W`:IaP!t4*h'i 4M~}~~y{ٶ~Z $JI<^Dī Al :"(S#6a^Q>M[0V8i'^Hٯ^RT뽴!y8`_7)Sv-ېl,`T1UbJ#!0pftewYX1ykNRD=)=!üճRƟ4JauуوV&W䄭OY%Ru} .\ER۝ΠG>zߧic0Ou3T 4R4] {JyLC ?-pczt}]=4J\>Lǹ<mAhUCqLQ׍\I,`~0le-Z;,M&;4^t}xIדrkam(X<: Y('PWB~)QFݟ)3a7Ѓoe$Vw._X;uz7H5YJcicd\蝭ѭUnoʭE+3LY۽ie ի)}gHV*%F@bPȃ?J;Q-fY.b ^r۰qCHgQp]ҷ+5ЊTxIdn@OLCMmOb_n_t71+q%vY8J'MHS'BhR kβG֮ZV pn>shj?h'CL>ݖ!ln_ ƨU5$S3KFv<ʝXS-vR*MCP܈vy3I3z/u s+6tRgQ*C\48m_(68DHy7u3%V=L9C #GoՖu燏bFfQ!o;Y*e$O!H />sW| ҭr OZt\کZ'kL݈;0bއ*jq{^q-+tx5fVk0)^tF'Zlx#VSk̿?H#A|>Q;y^#""F"x xhәk5P6oq{ωq~[+C'̑yl1ww ܨGI{ïI:hDO4m<}Ov`+  O`@ IJ7()<.fEYVn>&|MQED# O=?> endobj 9 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F2 /BaseFont /Times-Bold /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 10 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F3 /BaseFont /Times-Roman /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 11 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F4 /BaseFont /Helvetica-Bold /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 12 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F5 /BaseFont /Helvetica-Oblique /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 13 0 obj [6 0 R /Fit] endobj 14 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F6 /BaseFont /Times-Roman /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 15 0 obj << /Type /XObject /Subtype /Image /Width 550 /Height 140 /Filter /FlateDecode /DecodeParms << /Predictor 15 /Colors 1 /Columns 550 /BitsPerComponent 8>> /ColorSpace /DeviceGray /BitsPerComponent 8 /Length 5329>> stream xqDǯ뺒$ILfff&I335Lf2\3I2L&_3$3I$d+$\W=9y9lLss99P`0 `0 `0 `0 !U_:~u = F~sZŻدns⃪Qg¢G(F[-s͓^ DZ>d>3Dr#\OΉ, ZFwjux<;4Ƀxز#_v?nO<|{7c(b{Oū}w[N e~Hs䎷wwOn<1B.k+%U=eԘ -mCj)t:}c'ϓ*n"-ovkZ?R"V%wʶ7s]eX&eǕq` 1-2e JYHCFOUam 7:(Ԙt_@ހN t{B~ :V@}o#7!z^&zFL:ʤn X<- %"bNWqF c` M'4?cH-V`ǵAF>=#Ěm75dB I&7E5<>-͏їFǿl3M6x]Y&)2 FoΌ N.<t i4wL\^=_|Fo؏IȄ ik$ɄL?{?|tmCޮ=~T&iTevϷ'奔s?EꋄLPY͹箵?@L:Aˤ3y_:9AtA*0qVe- e6g)%a}.qKcI V/xʤzM|\ HSql0;*%+Mذ-闛obebu2iU&lLbtIcxb5^B#8 ޮaʻ _ w>j+L:$"&O;bZ K1 jmU玫ݢ=S/J<WO2'_yUPvp=`"aL5 Nl7"rlQT޼==-I[Se* F'(\`󴯉'{:נnVZ TG6*r$Tyx^LJū.C<3` %ANrxUo"˄ 0&$tO F&bIcW3GG͈ y!{m,LkCI d,(2"@ dR%F1thUL8Rݒ^+v9^?sʯYעDl~Qd" N2sc|ov}=F,3K#vxIvG^,[OM&wI[#,Jޙ\ض;L^fv[LbyYvM#/EI#/Zס$(ڼ ," &LK/IF i-Zx彰픢]MKeR n(PhV'LҸ\f$w/ e]"mɷWO߻˱ KerSPe (ӼGMȈ}X?ʍto7ZKl+81_Y&ǡd uʤ1Vw!sQ"/$zNkw(t)2BWQW"˄OXLp:e‡# וzn2F}qlc5ؾ:WH xLz LP:d# Q>(MRېd2Qt$o~R$YR5,-nޜLr_βehd" 2k1lvO X= eC p+[R=jU!֖}_DޟY2 (*wkZQ>Fl̲soR#^u3hhyTԲt.LtD8sk4z4Rbl@zp4hy0Tn\=.fnő Y/:TC9<@fSI$:QR/bq7DfR/ֻn)Vqd"䳽˄GL;ϝRG顼n&%Sv eFv,L"t}I&N> D73]$e)( ;]XhL`kSzJlcC$<)깍h}dr,1ܝRM뭍eMa $?e3f8΍҈&P(x+JU5{I 3 M- ;7|#G9 !\œ&=xp2,L{-`?OW":4uܚEadv ~9q.VdV%UT@73$@W¯B!ݒaVLH:!opr;gAɀiήpfߙR E/IDO*Luf0}{7mfyDxT.g)w5RvHx#Z]&M$ gZUTt+lZqZ_;a&JaG,-JLJDFIcV|:I3nB&;N0Lna=Y_Gl,p5,,kc EKgd;2vt7selT9˸sX޲.6r<1!| L0lTMS1?Xsf cq )KSgBB&׭x. v c@^Yk΀v],E[ɾ QhYyXXC2)g/J@su1ScL, ?C[{V2i͛!סӠ&> 6lu>4Ƕʤ|=12鱧l{^:a/Y%~].26G: p^CZ V&Vedҟ?RrX7d#I]ՕuL1 ?_ /12IEh ̴b<ӯ^e _ϝ䰻^]vy> /ColorSpace /DeviceRGB /BitsPerComponent 8 /Length 873>> stream x1j08-K/)],) &gi+:U̲\"9H!@"9H!@"9H!@eY.Z[p_E{QHKV[/`j%ʒcP,SX4W{7urd5ɱPr:-ֆʇX$$zfZpClbw7z{[]qGlwlGlZiM,ߺ7x}w` L9=3zpWL9 j)ۓB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$e]k` B$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$/؋ endstream endobj 17 0 obj << /Type /ExtGState /BM /Normal /CA 0.3 >> endobj 18 0 obj << /Type /ExtGState /BM /Normal /ca 0.3 >> endobj 19 0 obj << /Type /Page /MediaBox [0.000 0.000 612.000 792.000] /Parent 3 0 R /Contents 20 0 R >> endobj 20 0 obj << /Filter /FlateDecode /Length 689 >> stream xn@yRs j9@H=wݵMe!E&ͷovV!K`}Z~ T7;& laW}!gJ/\> 5 Sy b{: QXtXӰGqKp5B pR+狺m{%ëo݉4KX?x|}`G2AѠ78bCRU-ݡjfڄޞMommu-m[2 X  =O-NU S\Lbq y1:E'[$*׽rh| AZ4 RK͔_)u@:Y=9ϒ(c&X04hEsv3AZ'~wPnN(7CE?1:ll5\ɱ3hQ :7@I3t`𾗆n)uo<R-׬щ%?tFt'B*H,m*U>R30|P iEi9oŧ40ŧ-TH+# :/~_}Ԫ@@uu0FȎ0+W#!ɑ^]$: h8u. nE%BFNPb?̗4cY&b6~|]ܿ]̦, =k~4_T`2= endstream endobj 21 0 obj << /Type /ExtGState /BM /Normal /CA 1 >> endobj 22 0 obj << /Type /ExtGState /BM /Normal /ca 1 >> endobj 23 0 obj << /Type /XObject /Subtype /Image /Width 550 /Height 140 /Filter /FlateDecode /DecodeParms << /Predictor 15 /Colors 1 /Columns 550 /BitsPerComponent 8>> /ColorSpace /DeviceGray /BitsPerComponent 8 /Length 5329>> stream xqDǯ뺒$ILfff&I335Lf2\3I2L&_3$3I$d+$\W=9y9lLss99P`0 `0 `0 `0 !U_:~u = F~sZŻدns⃪Qg¢G(F[-s͓^ DZ>d>3Dr#\OΉ, ZFwjux<;4Ƀxز#_v?nO<|{7c(b{Oū}w[N e~Hs䎷wwOn<1B.k+%U=eԘ -mCj)t:}c'ϓ*n"-ovkZ?R"V%wʶ7s]eX&eǕq` 1-2e JYHCFOUam 7:(Ԙt_@ހN t{B~ :V@}o#7!z^&zFL:ʤn X<- %"bNWqF c` M'4?cH-V`ǵAF>=#Ěm75dB I&7E5<>-͏їFǿl3M6x]Y&)2 FoΌ N.<t i4wL\^=_|Fo؏IȄ ik$ɄL?{?|tmCޮ=~T&iTevϷ'奔s?EꋄLPY͹箵?@L:Aˤ3y_:9AtA*0qVe- e6g)%a}.qKcI V/xʤzM|\ HSql0;*%+Mذ-闛obebu2iU&lLbtIcxb5^B#8 ޮaʻ _ w>j+L:$"&O;bZ K1 jmU玫ݢ=S/J<WO2'_yUPvp=`"aL5 Nl7"rlQT޼==-I[Se* F'(\`󴯉'{:נnVZ TG6*r$Tyx^LJū.C<3` %ANrxUo"˄ 0&$tO F&bIcW3GG͈ y!{m,LkCI d,(2"@ dR%F1thUL8Rݒ^+v9^?sʯYעDl~Qd" N2sc|ov}=F,3K#vxIvG^,[OM&wI[#,Jޙ\ض;L^fv[LbyYvM#/EI#/Zס$(ڼ ," &LK/IF i-Zx彰픢]MKeR n(PhV'LҸ\f$w/ e]"mɷWO߻˱ KerSPe (ӼGMȈ}X?ʍto7ZKl+81_Y&ǡd uʤ1Vw!sQ"/$zNkw(t)2BWQW"˄OXLp:e‡# וzn2F}qlc5ؾ:WH xLz LP:d# Q>(MRېd2Qt$o~R$YR5,-nޜLr_βehd" 2k1lvO X= eC p+[R=jU!֖}_DޟY2 (*wkZQ>Fl̲soR#^u3hhyTԲt.LtD8sk4z4Rbl@zp4hy0Tn\=.fnő Y/:TC9<@fSI$:QR/bq7DfR/ֻn)Vqd"䳽˄GL;ϝRG顼n&%Sv eFv,L"t}I&N> D73]$e)( ;]XhL`kSzJlcC$<)깍h}dr,1ܝRM뭍eMa $?e3f8΍҈&P(x+JU5{I 3 M- ;7|#G9 !\œ&=xp2,L{-`?OW":4uܚEadv ~9q.VdV%UT@73$@W¯B!ݒaVLH:!opr;gAɀiήpfߙR E/IDO*Luf0}{7mfyDxT.g)w5RvHx#Z]&M$ gZUTt+lZqZ_;a&JaG,-JLJDFIcV|:I3nB&;N0Lna=Y_Gl,p5,,kc EKgd;2vt7selT9˸sX޲.6r<1!| L0lTMS1?Xsf cq )KSgBB&׭x. v c@^Yk΀v],E[ɾ QhYyXXC2)g/J@su1ScL, ?C[{V2i͛!סӠ&> 6lu>4Ƕʤ|=12鱧l{^:a/Y%~].26G: p^CZ V&Vedҟ?RrX7d#I]ՕuL1 ?_ /12IEh ̴b<ӯ^e _ϝ䰻^]vy> /ColorSpace /DeviceRGB /BitsPerComponent 8 /Length 873>> stream x1j08-K/)],) &gi+:U̲\"9H!@"9H!@"9H!@eY.Z[p_E{QHKV[/`j%ʒcP,SX4W{7urd5ɱPr:-ֆʇX$$zfZpClbw7z{[]qGlwlGlZiM,ߺ7x}w` L9=3zpWL9 j)ۓB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$e]k` B$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$/؋ endstream endobj xref 0 25 0000000000 65535 f 0000000009 00000 n 0000000074 00000 n 0000000120 00000 n 0000000461 00000 n 0000000498 00000 n 0000000647 00000 n 0000000750 00000 n 0000002768 00000 n 0000002875 00000 n 0000002983 00000 n 0000003093 00000 n 0000003206 00000 n 0000003322 00000 n 0000003351 00000 n 0000003461 00000 n 0000009036 00000 n 0000010167 00000 n 0000010226 00000 n 0000010285 00000 n 0000010390 00000 n 0000011152 00000 n 0000011209 00000 n 0000011266 00000 n 0000016841 00000 n trailer << /Size 25 /Root 1 0 R /Info 5 0 R /ID[] >> startxref 17972 %%EOF Where's the Christmas party? | Caring Magazine

Vol. #28

Grace Uncovered

Read Issue

Latest Impact StoriesView All

Popular Topics

PopularView All

Where’s the Christmas party?

December 14, 2010
2 minute read
Total
0
Shares
0
0
0
Listen to this article

Alaska’s Operation Santa brings a celebration to remote villages.

by Jenni Ragland –

Mr. and Mrs. Santa listen to a young girl’s wish list. [Photo courtesy of Alaska Division] Everybody loves a Christmas party! For several remote Alaskan villages, having a visit from the Operation Santa program—often before Thanksgiving—is the highlight of the holiday season. Organized by the Alaska National Guard with support from The Salvation Army, the program shares the joy of Christmas with each community—providing gifts, goody bags and the opportunity for children to visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus. This year, Operation Santa visited Kokhanok, St. Paul, Hoonah, Holy Cross, Tanana, Pilot Station, Little Diomede and White Mountain.

The first trip was to St. Paul, one of the Pribilof Islands in the Bering Sea (familiar to fans of the television show Deadliest Catch). Even traveling in the jumbo C-17 cargo jet, the flight there took nearly two hours. While en route the excitement built; many were on their first Op Santa trip. As the plane taxied to a stop, community members greeted Santa and the elves. Pick-up trucks loaded the gifts, books, fresh fruit, turkey dinner and ice cream sundaes while Santa and his helpers climbed aboard warm tour buses for the trip to City Hall where the community gathered for the festivities.

The elves got right to work—some packing goody bags for every child with fresh fruit, bottled water, stocking stuffers and toothbrushes. Others organized the toys so the line would move quickly once Santa and Mrs. Claus arrive. (Volunteers begin wrapping toys in September, labeling each with an age range and whether the gift is for a boy or girl.) On the stage the Air Force Band of the Pacific played Christmas carols, while at the opposite end of the room, volunteers served lunch for everyone, including ice cream sundaes.

Soon the special guests—Santa and Mrs. Claus—arrived, as everyone sang “Jingle Bells.” The Clauses spent the next several hours handing out presents and taking pictures with each child. Just before the kids finished, the elders lined up for a quick visit with Santa, too.

As we loaded up the plane for our trip home, we swapped stories about the day. Captain Doreen Freeman, Alaska divisional women’s Ministries secretary, who was on her first Op Santa trip, said, “I’ve heard so much about Op Santa and was excited to be part of the celebration with the community of St. Paul. The people were so welcoming and opened their hearts to share the joy of Christmas with us, as much as we came to serve them.”

Even Santa sometimes encounters weather challenges! While St. Paul was the first trip, it wasn’t the first one scheduled. Two attempts to visit the community of Kokhanok were canceled due to weather, which presented an obstacle this year. It required four tries before proving successful—which was a huge relief for organizers who didn’t want the children to be disappointed as well as those in the community who wondered if Santa would ever arrive.

Download this page as a PDF

You May Also Like