Today I decorated my 5th holiday tree. The neighbourhood kids and I made a gingerbread house decked out with bushels of candy, and I polished off the remainder of the online gift buying while they sipped rich hot chocolate and watched holiday films. I am one of the VERY lucky ones. As are my kids. Many, many others are not so lucky. Did you know that 1 in 7 (or 4.9 million) people in Canada live in poverty? Imagine sending a letter to Santa and being the only kid in your class whose wish goes unanswered. Imagine looking at a huge turkey dinner commercial on TV while you eat plain noodles for your entire holiday.

Without funds, it’s hard to imagine a world of possibility. Big Brothers, Big Sisters changes this with a belief that every child should have the opportunity to reach his or her full potential, both as individuals and citizens – and that by doing so, they will not only do well, they will also do good. This amazing goal is accomplished through volunteer based mentoring programs.

Hyundai Canada understands that not all kids are as fortunate as my own. With a clever spin on ‘Santa’ , the beloved Santa Fe became a sleigh to spread cheer and joy to Toronto kids in need of some hope.

Partnering with Big Brothers Big Sisters Toronto, Hyundai Canada provided extremely deserving children an opportunity to experience a truly personalized visit from Santa and his elves. Santa arrived in his amazing new Santa Fe Sleigh to hand-deliver each child a gift wish list item. As you can see in this amazing video, Santa’s sleigh got him safely (of course – it’s a Hyundai!) from point A to point B to provide Holiday cheer.

“Unlocking a child’s true potential creates a future where anything is possible.” Big Brothers, Big Sisters believes that by changing the course of young lives, the future of a community is also changed. Hope can lead to a reduction in poverty and unemployment. Or to safer schools and neighbourhoods. Or to a renewed optimism for growth. Currently, over 40,000 children are matched with volunteers in Big Brothers, Big Sisters mentoring programs, with thousands more on the waiting list.

Imagine the joy of kids who have their wishes granted!

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post by Hyundai Canada. All opinions and commendations about the amazing Santa Fe Sleigh are our own.