Alaska Air Cargo has joined forces with the US Marines to deliver Christmas gifts to remote communities in Alaska. This collaboration, part of the Toys For Tots initiative, involves transporting 16,000 pounds of toys to 20 locations across the state. The program has been running for 14 years and aims to bring joy to over 8,000 children this holiday season.
Captain Tom Sharkey of Alaska Air Cargo, who has volunteered with Toys For Tots for many years, shared his thoughts on the initiative: "It’s an incredible feeling to give a child a toy, and you see the happiness and the joy. (...) I see them smiling and laughing when the boxes arrive. Doing this brings joy not only to me but to all the people involved. They have a significant impact on their communities, they really do. (...) I’m just a Christmas man."
The operation requires close cooperation between Alaska Air Cargo and various military divisions, including service members from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson outside Anchorage. Captain Michael McDonald explained that deliveries are made throughout Alaska: "We deliver toys all across the state, from down in Juneau all the way up to the far north in Barrow."