Dozens of kids cheered on a festively decked-out plane in Denver on Saturday when the pilot announced their destination for the day: the North Pole.

The Polar Express is a train that gets you to the North Pole but United Airlines is taking to the skies with its holiday tradition, sending kids and their families on a flight to Santa’s workshop. The airline hosted its annual Holiday Fantasy Flight for children in local hospitals on

The holiday season is a time for giving, and this year, local families facing tough times were given the opportunity to take a magical flight to the North Pole.

Santa had some help making it all happen, so we want to give a special shoutout to United Airlines and the Alexandria nonprofit Children's Hospice International for helping to create beautiful, lasting memories for these kids and their loved ones.