Join the U.S. Lighthouse Society and Friends of Flying Santa on November 20 for an entertaining retrospective on 92 years of a well-loved New England tradition, the Flying Santa to lighthouses and Coast Guard stations.
The Flying Santa program was started in 1929 by pioneering Maine pilot Bill Wincapaw as a way of showing gratitude to lighthouse keepers and their families. The flights continue today through the work of the nonprofit Friends of Flying Santa. Helicopters visit Coast Guard stations throughout the Northeast, with more than 1000 children of Coast Guard families receiving gifts from Santa. It’s a perfect way to express appreciation to an under-appreciated branch of our military.
There will be a number of special guests in this event, which will feature a presentation on Flying Santa history by USLHS historian Jeremy D’Entremont. Guests will include Brian Tague, president of Friends of Flying Santa; Dolly Snow Bicknell, daughter of longtime Santa and historian Edward Rowe Snow; Sally Snowman, keeper of Boston Light; Bob Trapani, Jr., executive director of the American Lighthouse Foundation, and more.
There is no fee to participate, but you must register in advance for this Zoom event. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
When: Saturday, November 20, 2021 at 4:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Register in advance: https://bit.ly/3owOfm5
Jeremy D’Entremont is the author of more than 20 books and hundreds of articles on lighthouses and maritime history. He is the president and historian for the American Lighthouse Foundation and founder of Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouses, and he has lectured and narrated cruises throughout the Northeast and in other regions. He is also the producer and host of the U.S. Lighthouse Society podcast, “Light Hearted.” He can be emailed at Jeremy@uslhs.org