War, Kids, and Chocolate
IN THE AFTERMATH of World War II, Germany was divided and the Soviet Union quickly isolated East Germany from the west. Supplies were scarce, so under direction of President Harry Truman, the Allied Forces began the Berlin Airlift.
For 15 months, British and American pilots flew more than 277,000 missions to drop more than 2.3 million tons of supplies to the citizens of Berlin. The supplies that appealed most to the children were those dropped in secret by U.S. Pilot, Lt. Gail Halvorsen.
Mercedes, a young girl living with her mother, wrote a letter to the “Chocolate Pilot” and asked him to drop some candy at her house. Lt. Halvorsen did even better; he mailed a package directly to Mercedes and began a life-long friendship.
Their story turned into Mercedes and The Chocolate Pilot which will come alive again this Saturday accompanied by live classical music by Chamber Music Charleston.
When: Saturday, February 6 • 1:00 PM
Where: Circular Congregational Church
150 Meeting Street in downtown Charleston
The 45-minute program will also feature film, television, and stage actress Chris Weatherhead from Actors’ Theatre of South Carolina who will read the story as illustrations from the book are projected on screen for everyone to see. And don’t miss the cookie and punch reception afterward, where you and your kids can meet Chris and the musicians.
About the Author
Margot Theis Raven has written for 30 years for radio, television, journals, and books. She lives with her family in their homes in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and South Carolina. When she found a story about a retired U.S. Air Force Colonel named Gail Halvorsen who had parachuted candy down to the children of Berlin, Ms. Raven was determined to learn more. She and her daughter flew to Utah to meet Col. Halvorsen and planned how best to bring his story to life.
Classical Kids Series is the creation of Sandra Nikolajevs, founder of Charleston Chamber Music. Sandra is a passionate musician and a wonderful teacher who is genuinely interested in promoting classical music education in the Charleston region.
Click the ticket below to learn more and purchase.
To learn more about the rest of this year’s events by the Classical Kids Series,
click the image below.
