RCAF Operation HOHOHO to bring holiday cheer to KGH

Tomorrow, Tuesday Dec. 15, 2020, will see Operation HOHOHO land a Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) helicopter full of cheer at the Kingston General Hospital (KGH) site helipad at approximately 10 a.m.

The CH-146 Griffon helicopter will fly from Canadian Forces Base Kingston as part of Operation HOHOHO, an annual event designed to bring holiday cheer to the hospital’s young patients and their families, according to a release from Canadian Armed Forces dated Monday, Dec. 14, 2020.

Some of Santa’s elves will be on the flight, but they will not enter the hospital due to COVID-19 mitigation measures this year. According to the release, toy donations, provided by 1 Wing Headquarters, were delivered to the KGH site ahead of time to allow for a quarantine period prior to distribution to patients.

Operation HOHOHO is an initiative dating back to 2005 and originating from 400 Tactical Helicopter Squadron, one of 1 Wing’s seven squadrons across Canada. 1 Wing Headquarters has conducted their own iteration since 2019.