Seniors Get Ultimate Gift at Surprise Holiday Party with Over 25,000 Lights, Musicians, and Hundreds of Visitors
The holiday season can be a lonely time for many seniors–increasingly so since the start of the pandemic–so Klick Health today released its ‘Light The Way’ holiday video to encourage people to “be the light in someone’s day.” The sentimental three-minute holiday production was created in partnership with the Tony Stacey Centre for Veterans Care (TSCVC) and shines a spotlight on the power of community and connection.
Set to original, new music by singer/songwriter Taylor Ashton, ‘Light The Way’ provides a heartwarming glimpse inside the non-profit long-term care home as Klicksters work outside to surprise residents with a larger-than-life holiday celebration. In the video, hundreds of family, friends, Klicksters, and community members turn up in droves for the event, featuring over 25,000 lights, a giant Santa throne and other festive decor, live entertainment, and hot cocoa.
“We are grateful to everyone at the Tony Stacey Centre for collaborating with us to bring to life such an important story,” said Chief Creative Officer Rich Levy. “Making this video has been a labor of love that has brought together the expertise of so many Klick crafts–from creative and production, to medical, events & experience, and more–all to bring joy and togetherness to an often overlooked community.”
According to the TSCVC, 75 percent of its residents don’t receive any visitors during the holiday season. Recently published research in the Journal of the American Heart Association found that social isolation and loneliness increase the risk of heart attack, stroke, or death by 30 percent. For many seniors, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has only made loneliness worse, and the holidays can be an especially difficult time.
Raising funds and awareness for long-term care homes
Klick’s Chief People Officer Glenn Zujew said, “We’ve been creating annual holiday videos to help spread festive cheer and give back to communities for over a decade, but this one is extra special. There’s a beautiful and tender emotionality to ‘Light The Way’ that we hope resonates around the world, and reminds everyone that human connection is the ultimate holiday gift.”
‘Light The Way’ also supports TSCVC’s ongoing fundraising efforts, with Klick donating $1 for each of the video’s first 10,000 YouTube views to the Toronto long-term care home, which has launched a fundraising campaign to redevelop its aging building. The company is also supporting a New Jersey-based long-term care home, sending homemade holiday cards to its residents and adding the care residence to its internal Klick it Forward charitable giving platform for the month of December, so Klicksters can direct the donation dollars they receive there.
In past years, Klick’s holiday videos have inspired millions of people with themes of kindness, empathy, and creativity. Last year, the company gave hundreds of its team members each a $100 bill with the simple directive to use it to ‘Spread Joy.’ Its popular 2020 ‘When Nobody’s Watching’ animated video received almost five million YouTube views, while its 2019 ‘Kindness is Contagious’ production received six million views and won a Webby Award. In 2019, the CW Network featured Klick’s ‘Epic Office Holiday Remix with Andrew Huang’ on its ‘Greatest Holiday Commercials Countdown’ show.
Klick’s ‘Light The Way’ holiday video can be viewed, liked, and shared on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjoytc_KoMQ.
