This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Children of military personnel killed in action departed Salt Lake City on Sunday for a trip called the Snowball Express.

The Snowball Express program flies the children and an accompanying adult to the Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas, area for a holiday vacation of fun activities. According to organizers, about 1,800 children from Gold Star families from across the country will meet in Texas this week.

For the delegation that departed from Salt Lake City International Airport, the send-off included a visit from Santa.