Southern Heritage Air Foundation had a full hangar Saturday morning for its annual “Pajamas, Pancakes and Planes - Breakfast with Santa” event at the Vicksburg-Tallulah Regional Airport.
Despite the good turnout, SHAF officials said the crowd was intentionally smaller than normal – down from around 300 in a typical year to approximately 100 in 2020, due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Donning masks, along with pajamas, parents and children were treated to games, decorations and, of course, pancakes. Due to COVID protocols, this year’s event looked a bit different, with breakfast served in to-go bags and Santa himself greeting children from the North Pole via a big screen projector and privately via Zoom.
The event comes after SHAF was named one of the top non-profits in the country for the fifth year by Great Nonprofits, a national organization that reviews non-profits groups.
SHAF President Patty Mekus said Saturday’s event, the eighth annual of its kind and used to raise money for the foundation’s mission of preserving the history of aviation, as well as that of WWII veterans, was a huge success – even with the changes made due to Coronavirus concerns.
“I think it went very smoothly and very well,” Mekus said of the day’s two “seatings” at 8 and 10 a.m. “We had about 150 at each seating; I would say probably 65-to-70 kids, and then the parents with them.”
Mekus said the changes made to Santa’s normal routine – from being at the breakfast in person to a video transmission and Zoom conversation with the children individually – actually seemed to make the visit with the St. Nick even more personal than normal.
“Most of the feedback that we got, was that if we had to do it this way again next year, they loved it,” she said, adding the private room set aside for just parents and children to interact with Santa via Zoom was a hit.
“They said, should Santa be back on property, they would prefer that he be in that private room,” Mekus said. “They really liked it that quietness and privacy of the visit. The kids felt like it was more personal and special.”
