Volunteers unloaded presents from more than 30 planes at Roben-Hood Airport in 2019. Operation Good Cheer is an annual holiday program that helps bring Christmas presents to foster children across the state. This year's delivery will be Saturday, Dec. 4.
Pioneer photo/Catherine SweeneyBIG RAPIDS — Operation Good Cheer is set to land at the Roben-Hood Airport in Big Rapids on Saturday, Dec. 4, to spread the holiday cheer to youth across Northern Michigan.
This volunteer program brings donors, pilots and nonprofit agencies together with one goal in mind; to make Christmas special for thousands of kids in foster and residential care. Volunteer pilots will start landing at 10 a.m. and continue throughout the afternoon as they transport thousands of gifts from generous donors and sponsors for the children in care at Eagle Village, Mecosta/Osceola DHHS and Lake/Newaygo DHHS.
For more than 30 years, Eagle Village has been a part of this event in hopes to bring their children a sense of joy by receiving gifts of which some children have never had.
“The holidays can always be a difficult time of year for the kids we serve. What our partnership with Operation Good Cheer does is ensures that our kiddos wake up on Christmas morning and have gifts under the Christmas tree with their names on them. For some of our kids this may be their first Christmas in a long time waking up with gifts for them under the tree. For others it may offer that comfort and familiarity of Christmases they’ve had in the past,” said Heather McClellan, foster care and adoption program manager at Eagle Village.
Operation Good Cheer was started in 1971. Sponsored and coordinated by Child and Family Services, this program has served more than 99,800 children.
For more information on how you can get involved, please contact Eagle Village at 231-305-6522 or Child and Family Services of Michigan at 517-349-6226.
