Moment Santa Claus’ 1969 Volkswagen Beetle breaks down in the middle of a highway in Brazil and helpers push Bug down the road – but needy children still get their toys on time
- Brazilian tour guide Marcos Renan Fagundes de Macedo dresses up as Santa Claus every year to deliver toys to underprivileged children in São Paulo
- The 32-year-old was on his way to deliver gifts on Sunday when his 1969 Volkswagen Beetle broke down
- The married father-of-two had forgotten to turn off the headlights while he was handing out gifts in the Bertioga neighborhood of Vicente de Carvalho II
- The car broke down in the middle of a highway and they were able to refuel it but then noticed that the battery had been drained by the lights
- Despite being able to get the car back up and running, Fagundes de Macedo and his helpers were soaked by a rain storm
- They now plan on delivering the rest of the gifts on Friday to children in the neighborhood of Indaiá
This is the moment a 1969 Volkswagen Beetle used to deliver Christmas gifts in Brazil broke down in the middle of a road – leaving needy children to waiting a few extra days to receive the toys that are being donated by a travel agent dressed as Santa Claus.
Marcos Renan Fagunes de Macedo, 32, was joined by his wife, sons and friends to drop off toys at low income neighborhoods throughout the São Paulo coastal city of Bertioga when the blue bug suddenly stopped moving.
The tour guide was all suited up as Santa Claus and brought a smile to children in the Vicente de Carvalho II neighborhood ahead of Christmas Day as he and his helpers handed out about 250 gifts as rain fell.
Fagunes de Macedo decided to head down to a community in the neighborhood of Indaiá to celebrate the holidays with poor children, but the vintage vehicle broke down on a highway.
Marcos Renan Fagunes de Macedo, of São Paulo, Brazi, poses with the 1967 Volkswagen Beetle he used this week to deliver toys to poor children in the coastal city of Bertioga, where he owns a weekend home
Marcos Renan Fagunes de Macedo has dressed up as Santa Claus over the last three years and did so again this year, delivering toys that he purchased with donations provided by his friends from a WhatsApp chat group. On Sunday, he visited the Vicente de Carvalho II neighborhood in the São Paulo coastal city of Bertioga where he gave away about 250 toys
Friends help push Marcos Renan Fagunes de Macedo’s 1969 Volkswagen Beetle after it broke down in a highway in Brazil as they were on their way to deliver Christmas gifts to children
His wife, Laila Patrício, was able to get gas from a nearby gas station, but the vehicle refused to start.
It was only then that Fagunes de Macedo had discovered that he had left the headlights on, thus draining the 1969 Beetle’s battery.
He and three of his friends pushed the car down the shoulder lane as they got soaked by a rain shower before he was able to get it running.
Marcos Renan Fagunes de Macedo takes a moment to talk to a young girl while delivering Christmas gifts to the poor at the Vicente de Carvalho II neighborhood in the São Paulo coastal city of Bertioga
Marcos Renan Fagunes de Macedo has dressed up as Santa Claus over the last four years as part of his charitable work to deliver gifts to poor children in Brazil
Marcos Renan Fagunes de Macedo refuels his 1969 Beetle before discovering that the car had broken down because he had left the headlights on while he was delivering Christmas gifts
The trip to deliver the toys to the children in Indaiá was postponed and rescheduled for Friday, the day before Christmas.
Fagunes de Macedo decided to initiate a toy drive for the holiday after reaching out to his friends on a WhatsApp chat group and earlier this year purchased the 1969 Beetle – a favorite of his late father.
‘I lived in Chile for many years on business, but every year at the end of the year I returned to Brazil to see my family and took the opportunity to spend a few days in Bertioga,’ he told Brazilian outlet UOL.
‘I knew that there were needy communities in the city and one day I came up with the idea of doing something for them. Thus came the Christmas (activity) with the children.’
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