Operation Santa Claus lands in Yakutat

YAKUTAT, Alaska (KTUU) - Santa Claus recently made a special visit to Yakutat with help from the Alaska National Guard and the Salvation Army.

However, his entrance was not his typical one. Instead of a sleigh and reindeer, he and Mrs. Claus flew in on an Alaska Air National Guard C-17 from the 144th Airlift Squadron.

They arrived at the school in a humvee, greeted with carols and lots of smiling faces.

Cherise Schmidt is a special education teacher and mother of two. She says the children’s excitement is contagious.

“You know, we don’t get very many opportunities to see Santa here or to have visits with him,” she said. “This one was really great because we had him come in in such a different way and in a way that they can really remember for a long time.”

Operation Santa Claus began in 1956 in the village of St. Mary’s after it had experienced severe flooding and drought.

Almost 70 years later, it remains a beloved holiday tradition in rural Alaskan communities off the road system.

With a population of around 650 people, Yakutat is one its larger stops.

Santa delivered backpacks full of goodies and spent several hours listening to children’s Christmas wishes.

Yakutat is the third and final stop of the 2024 Operation Santa Claus Mission.

Major Gen. Torrence Saxe of the Alaska National Guard says these visits give the Guard an opportunity to build relationships with rural communities.

“We’re coming to them and I think that’s special because this is not on the road system, it’s a place a little bit out of the way. We want to show that they’re important and we’re here for them,” he said. “To see the joy in their face as they come up and just going back and laughing, giggling, going back to their family.

“This really is a joyous event and I’m glad that we’re here to be a part of it.”

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