Office of Public Affairs
U.S. Coast Guard Seventeenth District
United States Coast Guard
Date: Dec. 10, 2009
Contact: (907) 487-5700
Petty Officer 1st Class Sara Francis
Petty Officer 3rd Class Charly Hengen
News Release

Santa, Coast Guard bring Christmas cheer to Kodiak Island villages

        KODIAK, Alaska – Coast Guard Cutter SPAR crewmembers deliver holiday cheer to Old Harbor, Alaska, children Dec. 8, 2009, as part of the annual Santa to the villages event sponsored by the Coast Guard Spouse’s Association of Kodiak. The SPAR’s crew delivered two pallets of dry goods and 24 turkeys donated by the Kodiak Island Food Bank, along with hats and mittens, and six desktop computers as part of the federal Computers Learning program. U.S. Coast Guard photo courtesy of the Cutter SPAR.     KODIAK, Alaska - Nell Leaming, a Portsmouth, N.H., native, visits with an Ouzinkie, Alaska, child about her Christmas presents provided by Santa Clause at the local school Dec. 7, 2009, during the annual Santa to the villages visit provided by the Coast Guard Spouse's Association of Kodiak and Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak. The Spouse's Association provided presents, fresh fruit, handmade hats and gloves and books to Kodiak's remote village children. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Charly Hengen.     KODIAK, Alaska - Santa gives a gift to Tia Bartleson of Port Lions, Alaska, at the Port Lions school during the Coast Guard sponsored Santa to the Villages event Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2009. The Kodiak-based Coast Guard has been bringing Santa to the remote villages of Kodiak Island every December for 32 years. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Sara Francis.    KODIAK, Alaska - Four of Santa's elves, (left to right) Pam Scholz of Norwich, Conn., Tiffani Scott of Campbell, N.Y., Tammy Knox of Warsaw, Mo., and Lynn Stiles of Evansville, Ind., all members of the Kodiak Officer's Spouses Association, haul presents from a Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak MH-60 helicopter on the runway at Port Lions northwest of Kodiak City on Kodiak Island Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2009. The Kodiak-based Coast Guard has been bringing Santa to the remote Kodiak Island villages for 32 years. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Sara Francis.    KODIAK, Alaska - The Spouse's Association of Kodiak and Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak deliver holiday cheer to remote Kodiak villages Dec. 7-10, 2009 in the form of presents, fresh fruit, handmade hats and mittens and books. The Santa to the villages has been an annual event for the past 32 years. U.S. Coast Guard video by PADET Kodiak.  

Editors note:  Please click on photos and video clips above to download high resolution images and video. 
Interviewees are Lynn Stiles, founder of the event, and Tonya Raney, chairperson of Santa to the villages.  Below is a link to more in-depth video.

KODIAK, Alaska - Santa and his elves are bringing Christmas cheer to the residents of the seven native villages on Kodiak Island aboard Coast Guard helicopters and the Kodiak-based cutter SPAR this week.

The Spouse's Association of Kodiak works year around to support the event by working with the schools, tribal councils and the community of Kodiak City to fundraise and collect donations. Each year the children of Kodiak Island receive toys, fruit and hats and mittens. This year for the first time the children also received books.

"Over 30 years ago my husband and I were instrumental in getting this program so that it was part of Coast Guard tradition," said Lynn Stiles.

Her husband Jim was a pilot at the Coast Guard base in 1967. Stiles came back to Kodiak from her home Evansville, In., this year to accompany Santa on his rounds. 

Santa to the villages is well received by all residents of the Kodiak villages and even adults can remember Santa's Coast Guard facilitated visits. 

"It's wonderful for the kids," said Arnold Kewan, board president of the Native Village of Port Lions Tribal Council. "They've come out here since I was in school and I'm 44 years old. It gives the kids a chance to believe in Santa, which Santa is out there, and it makes them think about what they want to do in their lives when they see the helicopters fly over the villages."

Santa and his elves visited the villages of Port Lions, Ouzinkie, Danger Bay, Karluk, Larsen Bay and Ahkiok aboard MH-60 Jayhawk and HH-65 Dolphin helicopters. Santa took the Coast Guard Cutter SPAR to Old Harbor.

"Every crewmember played a part in bringing gifts to 68 village children," said Lt. j.g. James Dooley, communications officer abord the SPAR. "Each child received a toy picked out just for them courtesy of the Spouses Association of Kodiak, as well as a set of hand knitted hat and mittens."

The crew of the SPAR delivered food on behalf of the Kodiak Island Food bank including two pallets of dry goods and 24 Christmas turkeys. SPAR also donated six desktop computers as part of the federal Computers For Learning program under Executive Order 12999.

"A good time was had by all and the children seemed to enjoy themselves," said Dooley.

After the day's festivities SPAR gave tours to 34 local residents, educating both children and adults on Coast Guard missions and vessels. The SPAR is a 225-foot sea-going buoy tender homeported in Kodiak.

Santa and elves visit Port Lions, Alaska. http://cgvi.uscg.mil/media/main.php?g2_itemId=728196

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