Santa Claus is taking a break from the shopping malls to make a special visit next weekend to the Byron Airport - without Rudolph and his red nose - to hand out candy canes and take pictures with all the good boys and girls of far East County.

Emphasis on the "good" boys and girls.

Instead of flying with his crew of reindeer, still at the North Pole engaging in flying exercises, Chris Cringle will literally drop in from approximately 4,500 feet from a single-engine Cessna 206 on Dec. 9 at 3 p.m. - a pre-Christmas free-fall the good folks at the Contra Costa County Airports talked Santa into for the 15th year.

The free event will be held at the Bay Area Skydiving (BAS), where Polaroid photos will be taken with Santa (a.k.a. Vic Krusi, manager of BAS).

"Santa hasn't been able to jump since 2003, so we're hoping for good weather this year," said Doreen Stockdale, Environmental and Community Relations Officer at Contra Costa County Airports.

Santa asks children who want their picture taken with him to donate a non-perishable food item to benefit the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano counties.

It's all about giving.

The Food Bank distributes 6.9 million pounds of food annually to people in need and receives donations from growers, manufacturers, retailers and individuals.

Larry Sly, Executive Director of the Food Bank, wants to make sure "no one in our communities goes hungry."

"This is our annual donation for the food bank, plus it gives the airports a positive image," said Stockdale. "Normally we are just known as the noise-makers, not so much the Byron Airport, but this event will also give kids an opportunity to see Santa and not have to wait in a long line at the malls. It also spreads good will."

For more information, visit www.foodbankccs.org, www.bayareaskydiving.com or www.co.contra costa.ca.us/depart/pw/airport/.