Six Santas, 16 elves, 14 pilots and 2,000 pounds of Christmas presents made their way into seven remote Kodiak Island villages from Nov. 28 through Dec. 7, continuing a U. S. Coast Guard holiday tradition that began 46 years ago.
The week-long festivities are the effort of the Spouse’s Association of Kodiak, who are fully engaged in Santa to the Villages for months prior to the actual event. They work year-round to facilitate this historic outreach program — coordinating with rural school staff, the community of Kodiak, Coast Guard Air Station and Base Kodiak personnel, and other local supporters to raise money and collect donations and help the Santas deliver products like hygiene products, hand-knit items, fruit and books. Katie Hamilton, a co-chair of Santas to the Villages, said the volunteers start prepping around Thanksgiving for the next year — but even earlier than that, they start asking people to donate candy for the stockings around Halloween. They work throughout the year to make the holiday special for over 180 children and 35 teachers in these villages.
Gifts are individually selected for each child by age and gender. The Santa to the Villages team also keeps track of items each child received in previous years, so each year they receive something new that they want or need.
“My favorite part of this event is seeing how happy the kids are when they see the Coast Guard approaching with the special guest and the joy it brings to the families,” said Phyllis Clough, who has worked for the Kodiak Island Borough School District for 42 years. “My husband and I decide what foods to make for the helicopter crew and in the past have cooed fish pie, fry bread, smoked salmon and/or chicken,” she said. “This event shows the love and caring of the Coast Guard and the Spouse’s Association.”
Santa to the Villages began in 1974, when a Coast Guard pilot noticed children in these remote villages had limited opportunities to interact with Santa and receive gifts. Coast Guard spouse Jane Clark began coordinating the Santa to the Villages project in 1976 when she and her husband, Capt. Charles Clark, were stationed in Kodiak. At its height, the project delivered gifts to nearly 400 children — but with village populations swindling, 145 children received gifts this year.
Funds for the gifts come mainly from an auction held every fall in Kodiak. The auction is named for Jane Clark and Lt. Cmdr. Jim Stiles, the pilot who recognized the need in the villages. Stiles died in a helicopter crash near Cape Cod, Massachusetts in 1979.
