Joy for the Holidays (formerly known as Hope for the Holidays) was another resounding success for 2018’s season of giving. Lead by the Children’s Cancer Association’s (CCA) Link Program, and generously supported by Fortis Construction, this event harnessed the power of our dedicated community to provide joy to families during the holiday season.

Sixty sponsor groups supported 314 family members, delivering individualized gifts for each family member and a gift card for groceries. That amounts to more than $69,000 in gifts and gift cards!

Delivering that much joy is indeed a collaborative effort. Our amazing elves, the crew from the Nike Training Team, perfectly organized presents for transport at the third annual Gift Drop Off party. Individual volunteers made thank you ornaments, communicated with families, and delivered gifts.  In total, more than 1,500 volunteers put in over 1,900 hours of hard work.

Thank you to each and every sponsor and volunteer for helping us achieve this feat. We are proud to share we supported more families than ever before!

Loading “Santa’s Sleigh”

Direct Transport helped in a big way again this year by delivering presents to 38 families across Oregon and Southwest Washington. Thank you Direct Transport team!

Homes Filled with Joy

Christmas morning, 65 families woke to a home filled with presents, excitement, and joy. Here are just a few ways in which your sponsorship and support made a difference.

I Can Never Say Thank You Enough

“With everything going on this year Christmas was not looking promising. I felt so bad because my son had been through so much, which means my family had been through a lot too. I explained to the kids Christmas wasn’t going to look promising, but when they saw the gifts their eyes shined. Their smiles, I’ll never forget.

The morning the kids opened the presents they were so excited and enjoyed every minute of it. I can never say thank you enough for what you did for our family it was absolutely amazing. Every gift was perfect. [The sponsors] put a lot of thought into each gift. They were wrapped beautifully, and the extra touch of Christmas ornaments on some of them was priceless. I could say thank you a thousand times and still feel like there was more to say.” – Donovan’s Family

A Magical Christmas

“The words ‘Thank You’ just don’t seem to do justice for the joy your gifts, kindness, and love brought to our family. We were overwhelmed by the generosity and attention to detail. Even our hard to buy for teenager was excited to open his gifts on Christmas morning.

Our sponsors truly made our Christmas magical, and it was such a relief to know that with all the health, emotional, mental, and financial challenges we experienced this past year, we had so many giving people on our side that helped make our world brighter.” – Harper’s Family

We Are Not Fighting Alone

“I came home from work after the gifts had been delivered, and it made me cry to see a tree, that had nothing underneath it before, now transformed into one of the best Christmases my children have ever had.

They asked me every day leading up to Christmas, ‘can we just open one?’ They were so excited to see the gifts that had been selected especially for them. When it came time for gifts, I just watched them open everything with tears in my eyes. They were so happy, so excited, and felt so special. It was amazing to see all of my children blessed in such a big way since much of the time and energy has been focused on Robert and getting Robert well.

Robert received this hoodie that says, ‘Every Day Warrior: Don’t Fight Alone,’ and when he opened that gift, I couldn’t stop myself from crying. We call ourselves Robert’s Warriors. It was such an amazing moment to feel like we are not alone. That to me was the most special gift.

I don’t know how to say thank you enough but thank you. Thank you to everyone who made this possible. I don’t know how or when, but I will do my best to pay this kindness and generosity forward.” – Robert’s Family

Tears into Smiles

“I can’t thank you enough for everything. I’ll always remember what you guys did for us during this hard time. You guys made my tears turn into smiles. It was hard trying to make Christmas special for my kids without a job and not being able to provide for them. You guys made that worry go away and, we are forever thankful for all that you did.” –Shaun’s Family

Become A Sponsor

Sponsoring a family over the holidays is a fulfilling way to give back to the community and prescribe joy to the entire family of a child or teen in treatment. If you are interested in participating in our 2019 Joy for the Holidays, please email our Program Manager, KDuvall@Joyrx.org.

You can also help a family with resources by donating, purchasing a gift card, or connecting your company with CCA!