The Sarnia Kinsmen Club is arranging safe and easy ways to donate to local food banks when the Santa Claus Parade returns Saturday evening to its traditional route along Christina Street.
The Sarnia Kinsmen Club is arranging safe and easy ways to donate to local food banks when the Santa Claus Parade returns Saturday evening to its traditional route along Christina Street.
The Sarnia parade switched to drive-thru events for the past two years because of pandemic restrictions but is returning to its regular route and format, with a few changes to how parade-goers can donate cash and non-perishable food to help four local food banks.
The drive-thru events at Lambton College raised about $10,000 in cash and 4,000 pounds of food donations, according to the service club.
This year’s traditional parade, which is expected to have approximately 40 entries, is set to begin at 6 pm Saturday at the corner of Exmouth and Christina streets and travel south on Christine Street to Wellington Street.
In the past, volunteers walked the route during the parade to collect donations for food banks, but the club is trying something different this year.
It’s setting up temporary collection bins at several intersections along the route where parade-watchers can drop off food donations.
They will be set out Saturday afternoon at Christina and Lite streets, Christina and Exmouth streets, Christina Street and London Road, Christina and George streets, and Christina and Davis streets.
Also, Boy Scouts will travel the route just ahead of the parade to collect cash donations for food banks at the Salvation Army, Inn of the Good Shepherd, St. Vincent de Paul and River City Vineyard.
“We want people to enjoy it and give if they can because there’s a lot of need out there in the community,” said Henry Korstange, a Kinsmen Club member.
He said the changes are aimed at making it safer for donors, as well as more convenient. There have been years when food donations are left at the curb along the route because donors missed the donation wagons during the parade.
The Royal Canadian Legion color guard and local cadets will lead this year’s parade of floats and entries lit for the evening event.
Unfortunately, high school marching bands from neighboring Michigan that have been a tradition at the event aren’t able to return this year, although Korstange said club members are hopeful they will be part of the parade again in the coming years.
“They’d love to come over,” but it couldn’t be arranged in time for this year’s parade, he said.
“They’ll be back.”
The club attempted to find a Canadian marching band, but the few that exist were already booked for other events, he said.
Christmas All Together is the theme for this year’s parade.
The annual event has been held for more than four decades and typically draws thousands of spectators.
“I anticipate there’s going to be a very large crowd,’ Korstange said about this year’s parade. “We’ve been locked up for, basically, two-and-a-half years so people really want to get out.”