Children with illnesses flown to the North Pole from Detroit Metropolitan to see Santa

DETROIT – About 70 children with terminal illnesses had a very special flight Wednesday morning.

It was the return of the annual Fantasy Flight to the North Pole event.

Children and families went to Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport to enjoy fun activities in a winter wonderland alongside special guests from the Detroit Lions, Tigers, Piston, Michigan State and more.

This happens all before being flown to the North Pole.

The North Pole is a destination everyone knows exists, but not many people have any idea how to get there. For young children, the how doesn’t matter as long as the big man in red is waiting on the other side.

The plane flies with the window shades down because nobody is allowed to know how to get to Santa’s at the North Pole.

Many children are unable to see Santa at malls or other social events due to their immune system and other issues stemming from their illnesses. The Silverliners’ Fantasy Flight to the North Pole aims to give children and their families a holiday event they will remember forever.

Nearly 70 children fighting potentially terminal illnesses were invited on the very special flight. A flight made possible by hundreds of volunteers.

For more information on the Silverliners or to donate, visit the official website here.


About the Authors:

Nick joined the Local 4 team in February of 2015. Prior to that he spent 6 years in Sacramento covering a long list of big stories including wildfires and earthquakes. Raised in Sterling Heights, he is no stranger to the deep history and pride Detroit has to offer.

Dane is a producer and media enthusiast. He previously worked freelance video production and writing jobs in Michigan, Georgia and Massachusetts. Dane graduated from the Specs Howard School of Media Arts.