The aerial visits of the Flying Santa to lighthouses and lifesaving stations have been a New England tradition since 1929. The program was inaugurated by Bill Wincapaw, a pioneering Maine pilot. Edward Rowe Snow, the popular New England historian and storyteller, became involved in the 1930s and kept the flights going through 1980. Today, the nonprofit organization Friends of Flying Santa works to continue the flights as a gesture of gratitude to the men, women, and families of the Coast Guard who keep watch over our coastal waters. Thousands of hours are volunteered each year to ensure the success of the helicopter flights that include the children of Coast Guard families from Maine to New York.

Jeremy D'Entremont is the historian of the U.S. Lighthouse Society and also the vice president of Friends of Flying Santa. In this presentation, Jeremy will relate the colorful history of the Flying Santa from 1929 to the present day. 

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