MIDDLEFIELD, Ohio - There's a place in Middlefield where the Christmas spirit is on display year-round; delivering joy to kids who need it most at Santa's Hideaway Hollow.

The story behind it began 37 years ago. Santa Claus had a line of kids waiting to sit on his lap when one little boy changed the course of his life forever.

"Took off his stocking cap for a picture. A six-year-old boy was totally bald, had a scar from the top of his neck down behind his ear all the way into his throat. I looked over at mom and now she's crying. I turned him to face me and said, 'What do you want for Christmas?' And he said, 'Nothing," said Santa. "I said, 'Come on, you gotta want something. What do you want for Christmas?' He said, 'Santa, you know I'm dying. Just make my mommy happy.' She took him out of the hospital because this was going to be his last Christmas. She wanted one more picture and one more memory."

That's where the idea behind Santa's Hideaway Hollow first began. Today, it's a 97-acre property in Middlefield; Santa's summer version of the North Pole.

"I decided to rebuild the North Pole, just like it is back home," said Santa.

But this one is special. It's not open to the public. Instead, it's dedicated specifically to kids who are seriously or terminally ill.

"It's a day away from reality. Moms have said to me that it's so great to be here. You forget why you were chosen to be here," said Santa.

Here, they can laugh all day, fish, eat as many cookies as they like; with a network of volunteers creating a magical day to remember.

"A wheelchair slides into the swing and it's locked in and the child in the wheelchair gets to swing. Where else can they do that?" said Santa. "We have a nine-hole putt-putt and it's made for kids in wheelchairs. We have our own helipad for the medical helicopters that come in. We have a tailor shop where Buddy works. You remember Buddy from the movie. We have a bank and a post office. We don't deal in money here, so the bank is where we keep all the wishes."

And here, the wishes come true.

"This little girl, no legs from the knees down, both legs are gone; sitting on this pony, no saddle, hands gripped around the mane as tight as you can, three-years-old. Mom's standing five feet away from me hanging onto the corral and she's just crying, but happy. And this girl's going around and she's got the biggest smile, 'Mom look at me! Mom look at me!'"

Those are the reactions that keep this place going and growing, giving Santa a real mission here in Ohio.

"If you would have told me 37 years ago, 'Santa you're going to do this, and you're going to see this and it's going to do this and it's going to change your life, I, like many other people, would have said no way'."

But just like on Christmas morning, the surprise presents, the ones you least expect, tend to be the best. For 37 years, Santa and his team of helpers have been using that gift in the most magical way possible.

The sheer number of people and businesses willing to help out really makes you realize that just because Christmas is technically in December doesn't mean it's the only time of year where you can spread some cheer.

The Hideaway Hollow hosts hundreds of kids each year, reaching thousands over the course of its history. It also started hosting disabled veterans each of the last two years, an idea that's been very well-received.

To learn more about the project, you can check out the Santa's Hideaway Hollow website.