The students at Olsen Elementary School in Port Aransas got a festive surprise during lunchtime on Tuesday, Dec. 17. That's right—Old Saint Nick himself was the special guest, but he didn't arrive on his usual sleigh ride. He chose to make a grand entrance via helicopter.
“We had Santa Claus land in the parking lot across the street as a surprise to our kids. I did this many years ago in a previous school district, and it was a big success. So, I’m relatively new here so I wanted to bring the idea here and it went off pretty well," Olsen Elementary School Principal George Lerma said.
The students were told there would be a "special guest" showing up to their school at 1 p.m., but they had no idea who it was going to be.
“We were outside and Santa came in in a helicopter and gave people high fives," Hayes Kypke, an Olsen Elementary School student said.
The students were yelling with excitement and joy when they saw Santa Claus fly in on a helicopter. Principal Lerma said he wants to make this an annual tradition during the holiday season.
“I think they loved it. I had one kid say that this is the best day of his life. Another one said she’s not gonna wash her hands ever because she actually got to high five Santa Claus," Lerma said.
Principal Lerma said "Helicopter Santa" was a team effort. A local helicopter company flew Santa in, and first responders from the Port Aransas Police Department, the Port Aransas Volunteer Fire Department, and Port Aransas EMS were there to make sure the event went smoothly and safely.
"They were here just to keep everybody safe. They blocked off the roadway in front of the school, just to make sure traffic did not come through," Lerma said.
When KRIS 6 Neighborhood News Reporter Erin Holly asked some students what they are most looking forward to about Christmas, they said:
“Spending time with my family. Me too, and having presents.”
Principal Lerma plans to continue this new "Santa Helicopter" tradition that he created this year, and he said he would not have been able to do it without the support of the Port Aransas community.
“The community in Port Aransas is like no other community I’ve ever been apart of. They support the schools without hesitation," Lerma said.
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