Santa comes to town with WestJet

Visitors to Toronto’s CN Tower got a jolly surprise yesterday as Santa Claus, sporting blue pants, jacket, hat and a toy sack arrived at the attraction, handing out tower free passes, plane tickets, and in most cases after the fact, warm hugs.

The gesture was part of WestJet’s 12,000 Mini-Miracles Day, a Canada-wide event intended to spread a little holiday cheer through random acts of kindness within a 24-hour period.

“This really demonstrates the reach WestJet has across Canada,” Jessica Reynolds, sponsorship and experiential marketing coordinator for WestJet, told PAX. “We’ve engaged 12,000 WestJetters across our entire network to get involved, and they’ve taken it upon themselves to plan incredible miracles in their communities today.”

Accompanied by an entourage of blue-hatted WestJet helpers, Santa circled the viewing area of the CN Tower looking to bestow gifts, namely return tickets with WestJet to wherever the airline flies.

“We began our day at 5 a.m.,” the jolly old elf explained in a quick interview with PAX, “and surprised a family in Truro with a trip to Walt Disney World Resort. After this, we’ll be carolling in Calgary, dog sledding in Yellowknife, and throwing a pajama party at the Ronald McDonald House in Vancouver.”

A series of ‘mini-miracles’ were also being completed by WestJet ‘elves’ in Regina, St. John’s and Winnipeg, as well as in airports across the country. Deeds ranged from handing out hot drinks to providing passes to community attractions, as well as various charitable community acts such as meal and blanket donations.

“We’re proud to support the communities we fly into,” Reynolds said of the initiative, “and this is just our way of giving back to them.”

With his sack full of gifts emptied into the hands of thrilled recipients at the city’s iconic landmark, Santa was off again, swapping his sleigh for a ride on the UP Express to Pearson Airport, where a WestJet plane was waiting to whisk him to his next destination - and the lucky Canadians who would meet him there.

A video documenting Santa’s adventures with WestJet will be released by the airline in mid-December. Look for it on http://blog.westjet.com/.