Winnipeg Santa Claus Parade set to cancel?!?!
The Winnipeg Santa Claus Parade Board of Directors, made an announcement this morning. They say that they are still well short of their fundraising goal and are set to cancel the parade for the first time in 108 years if they can’t hit that rundraising target. According to the board of directors, they are still over $68,000 short of their goal and need that money by October 5 if the parade is going to move ahead as planned on November 17th.
The old Santa float was declared unsafe after traveling the parade route for more than 65 years. Plans for building a replacement were put into motion after securing a new sponsorship, confirming support for the Santa Claus Parade Float Project with matched funding of $50,000 over two years. With this support confirmed in 2017, the organization began construction of a new float, which is on schedule for completion in early November 2018. In April 2018, the sponsorship was rescinded leaving a marked gap in the fundraising campaign.
Earlier this year, Kildonan Place and Grant Park Shopping Centre donated a combined $6,250 to the GoFundMe campaign towards a $100,000 goal to help with Santa’s sleigh.
“The Santa Claus Parade has been a highly anticipated tradition for more than 100 years. A place for Winnipeggers to gather – young and old, families and friends, newcomers to Winnipeg, inner-city families, visitors to our city and our province. It is accessible to everyone and a celebration of the city coming together to bring brightness to our community,” said Winnipeg Santa Claus Parade, Board Chair, Rennie Zegalski.
Individual donors are encouraged to visit the parade’s GoFundMe page at gofundme.com/winnipeg-santa-parade to donate. Interested sponsors are invited to email sponsor@winnipegsantaparade.com for more information.