Date: December 6, 2025
Place: Tokyo
Participants: around 35 campers, around 5 care worker, 2 LITs, 11 Mirai no Mori staff, 2 sponsors, 8 KIWL Santas
Sponsors: KIWL, Dom Dom Burger, Costco, Build+, Cartier, Goodera, IBM, Robert Half

Our third Christmas care home program was filled with creativity and festive surprises, thanks to the sponsorship of Knights in White Lycra (KIWL) who brought eight volunteer Santas, and Dom Dom Burger who provided a delicious lunch and a special Christmas gift for every child.

To kick off the program, we revisited the meaning of Christmas. Many children naturally associate the holiday with receiving gifts, but we took time to reflect on Christmas as a time of giving. We then separated everyone into teams for the day, mixing campers of different ages together, and assigning one KIWL Santa to each team. 

After ice breakers and a Christmas-themed quiz, the morning continued with Christmas crafts. Campers received a wide variety of materials, including colorful pipe cleaners, pine cones, pom-poms, wooden slices, googly eyes, glitter, ribbon, pens and stickers. They jumped right into crafting unique ornaments, decorations and cards, not only for them to keep, but to give to others as well. Each team also had a special mission to create a handmade Christmas stocking for their assigned KIWL Santa as a symbol of gratitude. Teams worked together to design beautifully decorated stockings with their Santa’s name, using the materials in different ways and putting in their unique touches.

As noon approached, everyone gathered at the front gate to welcome the eight KIWL Santas, who arrived on their road bikes after a 35km cycle ride. Campers greeted them enthusiastically with cheers and high-fives as they entered the care home.

We then moved to a fun “interview-style” introduction. Each team sent its team leader to the stage to interview their Santa in English, asking their name, where they are from and their favorite things. This brought an international flavor to the program and gave campers a chance to show courage and leadership. Even those who felt nervous stepped up bravely and represented their teams on stage.

Next came a widely anticipated cheeseburger lunch kindly provided by Dom Dom Burger! Dom Dom Burger’s CEO joined the program for the second time and introduced the menu. This year, children were also surprised with a very special Christmas gift: a stuffed animal of Dom Dom Burger’s very own elephant mascot Domuzo-kun!

For dessert, campers experienced a selection of snacks from around the world, such as Belgium, Germany, France, and Malaysia, giving them the chance to discover new flavors and traditions.

Before starting the afternoon activities, we said goodbye to the cycling Santas as they prepared to hit the road again. Many campers were curious about the weight of the road bikes and got to test the bikes themselves before seeing them off with warm waves.

In the afternoon, campers could choose between two activities: playing Capture the Santa outside- a festive version of the well-loved Capture the Flag- or continuing Christmas crafts indoors. The Capture the Flag game was particularly popular, not only among campers but care workers, LITs and camp staff as well!

We gathered everyone indoors for a closing reflection time, where campers shared their favorite moments of the day. Many mentioned their excitement about the gift from Dom Dom Burger, that they took back to their rooms with big smiles. 

This unforgettable Christmas program was only possible thanks to the generosity and support of Knights in White Lycra and Dom Dom Burger. Thank you for helping us create meaningful memories and moments of connection for the children we serve. We look forward to celebrating many more seasons of giving together!

“My favorite part of the day was Capture the Santa because I was able to score a point for my team.” by camper, 5th grade

“I’m so happy with the gift from Dom Dom Burger! The elephant is so soft, and it repeats what we say. I can’t wait to put it in my room!” by camper, 3rd grade

“I liked the Christmas desserts from different countries, and my favorite was Belgian chocolate. I ate many of them!” by camper, 3rd grade

“It was great to see so many familiar faces among the campers, and I felt proud that so many kids recognized me by name even without a name tag. It really shows the connection we build by seeing them consistently, and I’m grateful to be able to see them in their own comfortable environment.” by camp staff

“This program has become a highlight of my year. It was impactful to interact with the children in my team and hear about what they are excited for next year.” by sponsor volunteer