Flying Santa will not stop at Pemaquid Point Lighthouse in December 2014.
“This is the first time that I remember Flying Santa not landing here,” Bristol Fire Chief Paul Leeman Jr. said.
The first visit by Flying Santa was in 1929. By airplane, Santa would bring gifts to families of lighthouse keepers, many of whom lived on remote islands and peninsulas on the coast.
Continuing tradition, Flying Santa flies by helicopter to over 33 U.S. Coast Guard stations and lighthouses each year.
“The schedule of stops is rotating,” said Brian Tague, president of Friends of Flying Santa. “This year, two of the civilian lighthouse stops are off the schedule. Next year, they will be back on. The schedule will rotate every three years.”
The rotating schedule will take off two civilian stops, which will give more time for Coast Guard families. “We added time in Portsmouth for the Coast Guard families, as they are our primary mission,” Tague said.
Tague said Friends of Flying Santa has enjoyed going to Pemaquid Point Lighthouse, as well as all other civilian lighthouse stops.
The Friends of Flying Santa in Stoneham, Mass., make Santa’s visits possible. Volunteers donate thousands of hours each year to ensure success, according to Tague.
