DENVER — Dozens of children cheered on a festively decorated plane in Denver on Saturday as the pilot announced their destination for the day: the North Pole.
More than 100 children, some of whom have serious health problems, were then taken on a roughly 45-minute flight near the city before landing back at Denver International Airport and being towed to a hangar operated by United Airlines employees and volunteers had been transformed to the North Pole. .
The plane and seats were strewn with streamers, paper snowflakes and tufts of cotton that looked like feathery snow. The flight crew paraded a bubble machine down the aisle as the excited children shouted “bubbles, bubbles, bubbles.” Christmas carols played in the background and there were apple snacks and juice for everyone.
Before landing, the children were asked to close their blinds. When they opened, the children were met by the sight of a waiting Santa and Mrs. Claus and a host of elves. There was an ice cream truck available and the children received gifts.
Bryce Bosley, 6, loved seeing Santa Claus and everything the North Pole had to offer.
“The North Pole is fun because there are games, food and all the activities are a lot of fun,” he said.
United Capt. Bob Zimmermann, the pilot of the holiday flight, was struck by the joy and wonder of the young people.
“I think about fantasy flight all year long,” he said. “When life seems to get hard or I want to complain about something, I think of these kids and the joy and the love and what this feels like, and it just keeps my life in perspective.”
United partnered with Make-A-Wish Colorado, Girls Inc., Children’s Hospital Colorado and Rocky Mountain Down Syndrome Association to invite Denver-area children ages 3 to 10 on the flight.
For more than thirty years, United has been organizing its annual “fantasy flights” to fictional North Poles at airports around the world to bring holiday cheer to children and their families.
This year they took place in 13 cities, starting on December 5 in Honolulu and continuing in Washington, Houston, Los Angeles, London, Chicago, San Francisco, Tokyo, Cleveland and Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and on the island of Guam. Newark, New Jersey, also had a flight on Saturday.
Jonna McGrath, United’s vice president of operations at the Denver hub, has participated in 29 flights and said this is one of her favorite days of the year.
“It gives them a day where they can get away from some of the challenges they face in their daily lives,” said McGrath, dressed as an elf. “Bringing a little magic and some gifts with them during the holidays is something they will never forget.”
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Bohrer reported from Juneau, Alaska.