This jolly old elf brings Toys 4 Military Kids in a helicopter

For most of us, the Christmas season is the warmest, most treasured family time of the year.

Imagine, then, how hard it would be to have a parent gone at Christmas and in harm's way -- riding in a Humvee in Iraq or on patrol in Afghanistan.

Without dad or mom, it's tougher to get the Christmas tree through the door and the Christmas feast on the table. It's even tougher to know they won't see the kids' Christmas pageant at church or hear their voices as they beg to know, "Has Santa been here?"

This holiday season, hundreds of Minnesota National Guard and military reserve families are facing these challenges. Their sacrifice is less and less in the public eye, as war weariness grows and economic challenges seize our attention.

Fortunately, Santa hasn't forgotten these families. In recent weeks, more than 1,500 kids of deployed Minnesotans have had Christmas brought to them.

Behind the good cheer are a jolly old elf named Les Hanson and his workshop full of donors and volunteers at Toys 4 Military Kids. Hanson, of Eagan, is a former member of the Army National Guard and a Vietnam-era veteran. His toy army's mission is to lighten our troops' burden at Christmas.

"When you're deployed, you worry about your family," says Hanson. "It's hard to buy presents in Iraq. The ordeal is easier if you know that, in some respect, Christmas is taken care of."

Hanson launched Toys 4 Military Kids after Sept. 11. Following the World Trade Center attacks, he wanted to reenlist, but had to face the fact that he was "too old and weighed too much," he said. Even if he could have shed the pounds, he adds, "I couldn't lose the years."

Then "God tapped me on the shoulder and said, 'Here's what you're going to do. You're going to raise money to make sure that Christmas comes for military families,'" explains Hanson. This year, Eden Prairie-based ATK joined forces with him as the organization's corporate sponsor.

Last week, love was in the air as National Guard families gathered for their party in a hangar at the St. Paul Downtown Airport. Joyous pandemonium reigned as the kids raced from face painting to cookie decorating to a "fish pond" for prizes.

Suddenly, the hangar door rolled up and a beaming Santa -- seated on an aircraft tow tractor -- rode in from a Chinook helicopter. Amid squeals of delight, he settled into a big chair in front of a Black Hawk helicopter overflowing with dolls, games and basketballs.

Rebecca Schoephoerster of Kenyon was waiting in line with her boys: 3-year-old Roman and 6-month-old Gabriel. Their dad is Sgt. Mark Schoephoerster, a flight medic with C Company 2-211 of the Minnesota Army National Guard, an air ambulance unit. His yearlong stint in Iraq won't be up until August.

Roman had talked about the party for weeks, said his mom. "He wanted to know, 'How will Santa get his sleigh into the hangar?'

I said, 'Maybe he'll have to come in a helicopter.'" For Roman, she adds, the party meant "two of his favorite things at the same time -- Santa and helicopters, like dad's."

Rebecca is the only mother in Kenyon whose husband is deployed, to her knowledge, so she treasures the chance to be with people who understand what she's going through during the holidays.

The party has also helped Roman come to terms with his dad's absence, she adds. "Roman's worried about Dad -- that he won't have a Christmas tree to decorate. So he picked out a little Christmas tree, and some ornaments and a stocking and sent them to Dad in Iraq."

When his father was deployed, Roman sent his teddy bear with him. "The bear is watching out for Dad," explains Rebecca. After the Christmas tree arrived, her husband took a photo of it beside the bear. Her son was reassured, she said.

Most of all, said Rebecca, "Roman wants to know, 'Does Santa go to Iraq?'"

"I told him, 'Santa goes all over the world, and I'm sure if Dad's been good he'll find him there and give him a present.'"

As any parent far from home knows, the most precious gift is to know your child is wearing a Christmas smile.

Les Hanson and his merry helpers are delivering that gift to neighbors of ours who have been very good indeed.

Katherine Kersten • 612-673-1774 kkersten@startribune.com Join the conversation at my blog, www.startribune.com/thinkagain.