Nordic Santa's Indy Kids

An International Celebration of GoodWill

The Indy 500 and the Month of May have a long-standing tradition of organizing goodwill projects for children. The Indy Junior Academy continues this tradition with an exciting and noteworthy Goodwill program.

Beverly Hills 1985-1988

History of the Idea

The idea for Nordic Santa’s Indy Kids traces back to the 1980s in Beverly Hills. Tero Palmroth and Mike Sims developed an international initiative aimed at sending American children with cancer to meet Santa Claus in the Arctic Circle.

The program was carried out three times in collaboration with the Beverly Hills Chamber of Commerce and the Camp Ronald McDonald for Good Times organization. It was sponsored by Finnish and American companies.

The initiative was a heartwarming and wonderful success, garnering significant media attention in both countries. Over the course of the program, 150 children visited Rovaniemi.

Underprivileged American children will have the chance to visit Santa Claus’s Village at the Arctic Circle.

Indianapolis 2026

Indiana’s Children to Rovaniemi

The Indy Junior Academy aims to recreate this initiative, offering an unforgettable experience for underprivileged children from the state of Indiana by taking them on a trip to Santa Claus’s home in Rovaniemi.

The program will be conducted in collaboration with the YMCA and the Boys and Girls Clubs in and around Indianapolis.

In the future, the initiative could include a reciprocal visit, where underprivileged Nordic children and youth with an interest in motorsports would have the opportunity to attend the Indy 500 race in Indianapolis.

Become a Partner

Be Part of an Unforgettable Initiative

Help make a life-changing experience possible for children. We are currently seeking companies and organizations to join us as partners in bringing this project to life.

Contact details for our representatives and more information about other partnership opportunities can be found on the Partners page.