A half dozen Marines, members of a Reserve MP unit with the assistance of an airlift unit out of Japan, traveled to eleven villages to help Santa on his annual toy delivery, providing donated toys and Christmas cheer to 2,500 children, the Juneau Empire reports.
The Marines, from Delta Company of the 4th Law Enforcement Battalion, took a flight on a KC-130 aircraft to Northwest Borough, Alaska, a 41,000 square mile jurisdiction located 25 miles above the Arctic Circle, and then rode snowmobiles to eleven remote villages. Deputized by Saint Nick, the Marine then donned Santa suits to distribute the toys. Part of Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 152, the aircraft traveled from Okinawa for the mission.
The effort is part of the Toys for Tots campaign, a program run by the Marine Reserve since 1947 to distribute toys to needy children during the holiday season. Toys for Tots distributes 18 million toys to 7 million kids annually.