Santa brings holiday cheer to sick kids in Kingston, Ont. – Kingston

The Royal Canadian Air Force was unable to use a Griffin helicopter to bring a special Christmas guest to the Kingston General Hospital. Due to weather it had to deploy a military SUV instead, One Wing HQ Commanding Officer Joel Maley said.

But that didn’t dampen the eagerness of the children and staff awaiting Santa’s arrival. And it didn’t stop Santa from bringing his usual holiday cheer at a time when it’s needed most.

“It was perfect timing for Santa to come and spread that cheer,” said Erika Kooi, program manager of pediatrics at KGH. “We have a lot of kids in unit right now, so it was really great timing that way… [Santa] brings bears to the children. They spend a little time with each kid, kind of hanging out, hearing their wishes and spreading the cheer,”

Operation Ho-Ho-Ho, now in its fifth year, is an annual collaboration between One Wing HQ and KGH.  The base says it’s something members look forward to every year.

“For us, it’s really encouraging when we come to (the hospital) and we see these pediatric patients and we see the resiliency of these kids, despite the difficulty they may find themselves in,” Maley said.

The hospital says it has a host of activities planned to make the day a special one for the children.

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