WildBrain has partnered with music group The Philly Specials—featuring Philadelphia Eagles NFLers Lane Johnson, Jordan Mailata and Jason Kelce (retired)—to produce seven animated videos inspired by the group. 

WildBrain launched the first of these videos—an animated music video of the group’s original song “It’s Christmas Time (In Cleveland Heights)”—on its YouTube channel last week. It’s the first single from A Philly Special Christmas Party (Vera Y Records released the holiday album on November 22), and the song debuted at #7 on the iTunes Holiday Chart in November. 

In WildBrain’s four-minute animated video, The Philly Specials discover Santa’s sleigh stuck in a snow drift, but the toys have been lost and the reindeer have vanished. The trio have to rescue Santa, rebuild the toys and deliver them to kids around the world. 

The rest of the Philly Specials shorts will roll out this month before Christmas Day, according to a WildBrain spokesperson. All of them will launch on the WildBrain Kids YouTube channel and on WildBrain Television’s Family Channel in Canada. 

Beyond the animated shorts, The Philly Specials have also secured several toycos to help meet the group’s goal of donating a gift to every student in the School District of Philadelphia this month. The Philly Specials call this ambitious project Operation Snowball, and have recruited Spin Master (which is donating US$1 million worth of toys), Just Play, Fanatics (which also created merch for the initiative), Jazwares and the non-profit Toy Foundation. 

All proceeds from A Philly Special Christmas Party will be donated to Operation Snowball and the Philadelphia school district. The Philly Specials’ hope to donate more than US$4 million to Operation Snowball.