By Jennifer L. Jacobson
Amid the intense California weather, March has been a historic month for the San Bernardino Mountains, leaving communities stranded and covered in snow. But Santa Claus came to the rescue via his theme park, SkyPark at Santa’s Village, which stepped up to help the surrounding Lake Arrowhead community. While the park itself remains closed and digging out from the blizzard and 9-plus feet of snow, recent weeks have seen it full of activity.
Instead of Eight Tiny Reindeer, There was a Helicopter!
During the storm, SkyPark at Santa’s Village has served as the staging site for SoCal Gas’ command center, as well as Edison Electric, and other utility and heavy machinery companies serving the mountain community. Crews worked around the clock to restore power, troubleshoot gas leaks, and ensure safety of the mountain residents. This also meant a parking lot full of large trucks, rescue vehicles, and even helicopter deliveries to the park’s campground helipad while area roads were cut-off from the valley.
“SkyPark was proud to provide our campground’s helipad for rescue teams as they airdropped necessary supplies for our community. Our gratitude for their efforts is beyond measure,” SkyPark said in a website posting.
“The volume of snow we are navigating prevents sufficient space for these critical vehicles and equipment elsewhere,” SkyPark posted. “We are honored to do our part with providing a central place for them to meet and communicate as they plan out each day. We thank them for their dedication to maintaining power and accessibility to our mountain and getting people the help they need.”
The park commented that, while it is working to reopen soon, it will be closed for a while longer.
“We have an intense amount of snow removal and storm repair that cannot be rushed. Many steps need to be taken in order to ensure it’s safe to welcome guests back to the Park.”
Jennifer L. Jacobson is Director of PR at SkyPark at Santa’s Village.
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