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This holiday season, WestJet is bringing hope, comfort, and moments of joy to families facing some of life’s most difficult challenges. Through its annual Christmas Miracle, WestJet is supporting families with critically sick and injured children who are staying at Ronald McDonald House locations across Canada.
For many of these families, the season is spent far from home as their children receive life-saving medical care. WestJet employees from across the country came together to ensure these families felt surrounded by care and compassion. More than 400 employees volunteered their time to shop, wrap, and deliver gifts to children and their families.
Across 16 Ronald McDonald House locations, more than 600 families received thoughtfully selected gifts. Children got items such as toy cars, dolls, and stuffed animals while their parents and caregivers received blankets, thermoses, and noise-cancelling headphones to make their time away more a bit more relaxing. Each family also received gift cards provided by WestJet partners including TELUS, Canadian Tire, and Skip. WestJet also partnered with the Toronto Blue Jays to surprise families with team merchandise.
To ensure every gift arrived in time for the celebrations, WestJet leveraged its cargo operation to support delivery to Ronald McDonald House locations nationwide. WestJet employees connected with alumni families who previously stayed at Ronald McDonald House to learn what brought them comfort during their own journeys and used those insights to guide gift selections that would genuinely make a difference.
This annual tradition reflects WestJet’s long-standing partnership with Ronald McDonald House Canada, which began in 2007. For more than 13 years, employees have embodied the spirit of giving by volunteering their time and energy to make the holiday a little bit better for these families undergoing tremendous stress from a sick child. Through the Christmas Miracle, WestJet continues to show how small acts of kindness can bring strength and hope during the most challenging times.
Samantha Taylor, WestJet Executive Vice-President and Chief Experience Officer, said:
We saw huge excitement, with more than 700 of our WestJetters from across the country stepping forward to volunteer. It’s a powerful reminder of what we can achieve when we come together and open our hearts, especially during the holiday season. For families navigating difficult circumstances this holiday season, Ronald McDonald House plays an essential role in helping them stay together, an initiative WestJet is proud to support through this year’s Christmas Miracle. Christmas Miracle is about more than gifts; it’s about reminding these families that they are not alone, and that their courage inspires us all.”
Kate Horton, President and Chief Executive Officer of Ronald McDonald House Canada, added:
Every year, tens of thousands of families with critically sick and injured children stay at Ronald McDonald House, where they are surrounded by essential care during their child’s medical journey. The holidays can be especially difficult for families who are away from home seeking life-saving medical care, and we are profoundly grateful for WestJet’s generosity every day in bringing extra comfort and connection during an unimaginable time.”
Anthony’s Take: I love programs like this that have airlines giving back to the community. Whether it’s United’s Fantasy Flights or American’s partnership with the Gary Sinise Foundation to honor families of fallen US military members, it’s great to see the holiday spirit coming through.
(Featured Image Credit: WestJet.)
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Advertiser & Editorial Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat earns an affiliate commission for anyone approved through the links above This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. We work to provide the best publicly available offers to our readers. We frequently update them, but this site does not include all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities.
