United Airline’s Fantasy Flight Special Event December 7 –San Francisco CA.
Lionel Collectors Club of America (LCCA) Members John Rinaldi, Mike Desing, Russ Hora along with others in the Golden Gate Lionel Railroad Club (GGLRC) are proud to be participating in the upcoming United Airlines Fantasy Flight Event at San Francisco’s International airport. On December 7, LCCA member John Rinaldi and the Golden Gate Lionel Railroad Club will be at a United Airlines departure gate in San Francisco International Airport, where a 747 awaits a take-off for the North Pole. They will take the terminally ill children along with their families on an hour long flight and return to a terminal decorated as the North Pole. Prior to departure, the families will be entertained and experience the magic of Lionel trains running on the GGLRC toy train layout.
This year, The Golden Gate Lionel Railroad Club is bringing their club’s large, highly detailed, portable Lionel toy train layout for all of the children and their families to enjoy. Lionel LLC has donated Lionel train hats and several new Lionel train sets to be given away to select children and their families. The LCCA has also donated LCCA Special Events Pins for the children to wear. The GGLRC will have the pleasure of entertaining these kids and their families while they wait for the plane to depart. The kids will be stuffed with candies, holiday cookies and plenty of drinks from the GGLRC’s special Christmas gondolas.
This is a great event to help spread some holiday cheer with the children suffering with severe illnesses along with their families. We hope the families will enjoy some of the holiday spirit as well as enjoy the sight, smells and sounds of Lionel trains running on the GGLRC’s layout.
For more information about this event, or would like to donate your time, money or gifts, please contact John Rinaldi at 650 279-8615. Please help spread the magic of Lionel Trains during this holiday season!
United Airlines is also sponsoring similar events in Chicago, Washington Dulles Airport and Pittsburg PA. If you want to get involved with these worthwhile endeavors in these other cities, please contact the United Airline Fantasy Flight program at http://unitedfantasyflight.com/
Thank you to John Rinaldi, the Golden Gate Railroad Club, United Airlines and Lionel for their efforts and contributions to support this very worthwhile cause.
Best regards,
Al Kolis
President Elect & Special Events Manager
Lionel Collectors Club of America
248 709-4137
agkolis@comcast.net
About the Fantasy of Flight Program.
The Fantasy Flight program began in 1992 at Washington DC’s--Dulles Airport, with the Make-A-Wish-Foundation, for terminally ill children. The children wished to tour the airport and to fly on a plane. Therefore, employees of the Dulles Airport conjured up a plan and decided that Christmas would be a wonderful time to grant them their wish. The Fantasy Flight program instantly grew from one airport location to forty-six domestic/ international locations. LAX made Fantasy Flight a dream come true in 1993, making this year our 17th years given the children the opportunity to enter the airport gates and fly an aircraft. Over three-thousand young children attend this event at various airport locations. The children are referred from many different social service organizations. Participant includes the Department of Family and Children Protective Services, and the South Bay Vocational Center and various social service establishments for youths.
For over twenty years, airline employees have volunteered their time and efforts to plan for this event and to physically redesign a beautiful “North Pole Christmas Planning Committee Village”. The children will be able to enter airport gate areas and take an actual flight as passengers aboard a United Airlines plane around the Pacific Ocean and southern California. After the fly, the children arrive at the “North Pole Village” and immerse themselves with holiday entertainment, and interactive festivities from special guest artists and entertainers. To treasure the memory of a fun-filled day, the children receive holiday toys and their own personalized photograph, taken with Santa and Mrs. Claus.
The Fantasy Flight Planning Committee believes in giving young children an open-minded and wonderful opportunity. We are proud to escort and sponsor these young passengers for this wonderful event. Due to the contributions from friendly business partners and kind supporters, Fantasy Flight will always strive to be a success throughout the years.
