Santa skydives in with presents for Service kids
14 December 2011
Major Alastair Macartney and Jump4Heroes, The Royal British Legion extreme flight team, made one of their more unusual jumps when they parachuted down from the sky dressed as Santa and his elves on Monday 12 December.
In an event arranged by The Sun newspaper, the highflying heroes made the jump from 4,000 feet to land outside 29 Regiments' Duke of Gloucester Barracks, near Cirencester, Gloucestershire. Waiting for them were forty children who between them have 22 dads and two mums in 29 Regiment serving in Afghanistan over Christmas.
The Sun's 'Santa Drop' was the brain-child of military sky diving champ Major Alastair Macartney, 35, who dreamt up the idea after meeting The Sun defence team while serving in Lashkar Gar, Afghanistan, in September.
Together with fellow 'extreme human flight team ace' Sgt Deane 'Smudge' Smith, 39, of the Royal Engineers, Major Macartney turned into Santa, with Smudge a red-suited 'trainee Santa' to help with the children.
Other military parachuting experts dressed up as elves - using costumes provided by The Sun - along with a landing strip pair who joked they were from 'Elf and Safety.'
Major Macartney said: "The look on the kids' faces when I landed will stay with me forever. When they started running towards me, it was such a moving moment.
"To have made these children smile and laugh meant the world - and it's set a precedent now. We want to now have a Santa Drop every year."
The jump - before school, at 8am - was nearly hampered by 30 knot winds. But the parachuting team pulled off the festive treat despite the difficult conditions.
Toy company Vivid Imagination provided sacks full of the latest must-have playthings for Father Christmas to present to the children. Then the youngsters, who ranged in age from three to ten, were presented with cards and letters sent back especially for the occasion, from their dads and mums serving on the frontline in Afghanistan.
The Sun quoted tearful mum Sarah Patterson, 34, whose RAF husband Sgt Andrew Patterson is currently based at Camp Bastion, and who brought kids Chase, nine, Xavier, eight, Latonya, seven, and Ayrton, five, to the festive treat. She said: "I've driven miles to be here - but the children were so excited.
"It's so hard on them with their dad away again for Christmas - but this morning has been absolutely amazing. My little daughter Latonya wrote Santa a letter saying: 'I don't care what I get for Christmas - I just want my daddy home.'
"It broke my heart. But to see her laughing and excited today has been absolutely brilliant."
Read the article in The Sun and see more photos.
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