Coast Guard teams up with Santa and his elves to deliver Christmas to Kodiak’s villages

Kodiak’s Coast Guard Air Station celebrated its 46th Santa to the Villages program this December, delivering the children of Kodiak’s villages toys, fruit and a visit from Santa and his elves. KMXT’s Kavitha George followed them out to Larsen Bay and Karluk, and has this story.

Santa’s annual helicopter flight out to Karluk, a village of under 50, is a much-anticipated affair, especially for the handful of kids who live there.

“Oh yeah, I was definitely one. That’s why we enjoy it when Santa comes because we remember what it was like,” said Kathryn Reft, a teacher who’s spent most of her life in Karluk. Like many adults in the village, she remembers these visits from a Coast Guard Santa from her own childhood.

Her son, Steven Reft is 28 years old. He pointed to decorations from his younger days still hanging on the wall of the Karluk school gym.

“The kids all did that, decorating and everything. Those stockings, they have the stockings I made and my cousins made and that’s like from 10 years ago.”

This year, volunteers from the Coast Guard Spouses Association dressed up as elves. Petty Officer John Ackerman volunteered to be Santa. At each village, Ackerman traded a flight suit for a fluffy fake beard, red coat, and a pillow for a potbelly, and the team marched in with bells to greet the children and listen to their Christmas wishes.

There aren’t many school-age children in the villages these days, as populations of both towns dwindle and it becomes harder to find work year-round. Today, Karluk has five kids and Larsen Bay just two. Both villages closed their schools last year due to low enrollment, but the buildings remain open as gathering places for the community.

Eight-year-old Azalea and her sister Rivierra opened presents on the floor of the Karluk school gym. Azalea pulled out craft kits, some sparkly soaps, and coloring books.

“They’re friendship bracelets,” Azalea explained, holding the colorful kit in her hands. “I’m gonna give [one] to my friend.”

As Karluk residents and the helicopter crew sat down for lunch, the kids didn’t pay much attention to the deer stew, turkey, ham and smoked salmon spread on the table.

“The kids were so excited this morning,” Kathryn said. “We couldn’t get them to do no work.” Instead of their lessons that day, Kathryn said the children made Christmas cards. “We’re gonna let them go early after you guys leave. There’s no way we could get them to concentrate now!”

The Coast Guard service members and Spouses Association volunteers involved share that excitement too, starting early in the morning to pull out the search and rescue gear in two MH-60 Jayhawk helicopters to make room for crates of fresh fruit, toys, and handmade hats and gloves donated from around the country.

Back at base, Lieutenant Jason Weeks, one of the helicopter pilots, says it was a far from a normal day on the job.

“We’re flying by those villages all the time. And we see them waving from time to time, so it was really neat to be down there in their community and see just the pure joy on their faces. It was really heartwarming.”

Elycia Steenbergen, Cindy Clogston, and Haley Nelson — also known as Santa’s elves — agreed, still in elf costume and glowing with excitement from the day.

“What an experience of a lifetime to fly out to the villages and meet the children that live there and bring them joy, the joy of Christmas, and presents, and Santa and our Coast Guard helicopters,” Steenbergen said. “What a neat experience.”

The Spouses Association prepares for Santa to the Villages year-round. You can reach out to them to donate your time or knitting skills for next year’s trips by contacting cgsakodiak@gmail.com or by visiting their Facebook page.