MELBOURNE, Fla. — Jingle Jet 2019 brought 10 worthy families together for a once in a lifetime "trip" to the North Pole.
- Jingle Jet helps families see the magic of the holidays
- Autumn Dunham has to take care of her three younger siblings
- She says Jingle Jet has made the holiday season a bit easier
Jingle Jet 2019 is designed to give hope to families who have suffered tragedies by sending them to the North Pole, or an Orlando airport made to look like the North Pole.
Nominated families took off for a short flight on an Elite Airways jet, then returned to the Orlando-Melbourne International Airport and a hangar full of gifts like toys, plus basic needs like vacuum cleaners, shoes and socks.
Each of the families endured something either tragic or devastating this past year.
Such as the Dunham family, who lost their father, and now Autumn Dunham, at just 20 years old, is caring for her three younger siblings.
"It's been so hard since our dad passed. I didn't think something like this would happen," she said.
Radio personality Tony Zazza, founder of the Zazza Community Foundation that established Jingle Jet, says the event helps families try to escape the hardships they have suffered.
"It's really spectacular what can happen when people come together to give families with that have been met with undo hardships a day to escape and enjoy the magic," he says.
Zazza is a local radio D-J who puts on the event, which is now in its fifth year.