DULLES, Va. — Santa Claus usually does all the traveling, but this time, a
group of kids flew from Dulles International Airport to the North Pole to meet
the big guy himself.

Now in its 25th year, United Airlines offered a Fantasy flight for hundreds of
children with serious diseases. Once in the air, the pilot reached a “top secret
altitude” and warned kids to keep the window shades down.

Santa has a mystery passage to the North Pole that he wants to keep a secret
from the Grinch.

“Basically, we’re going on a plane to the North Pole and then we’re going to
meet Santa,” says Alex Green, 10, who is fighting pediatric cancer. “It makes me
happy because, since I have cancer, I’m doing something fun and I can actually
go to the North Pole.”

Alex’s mother, Jenny, says he was diagnosed with a Stage 4 Wilms’ Tumor when he
was five years old.

“To see all these kids smiling, it’s emotional,” she says. “Pulling into the
airport, I got teary eyed seeing all the volunteers that come together and make
this happen. It’s wonderful.”

Kids walked through the “North Pole” terminal greeted by dozens of volunteers —
including a band, Spongebob Squarepants, Elmo, The Racing Presidents,
cheerleaders — and of course, Santa.

Denise Robinson-Palmer, base manager of flight attendants, says she looks
forward to this “fantasy flight” every year.

“Today I was with a kid and I got a little choked up, so I had to walk away
because this is not a time for us to get into that,” Robinson-Palmer says. “It’s
a time to make them feel like today is the most wonderful day to them.”

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