The Original Santa Claus Parade, a Christmas procession that has graced the streets of Toronto for 120 years, is in danger of going under, the organization has warned.
The parade launched a GoFundMe campaign on Oct. 28 in a bid to save the struggling non-profit. The Santa Claus Parade is looking to raise $250,000 to ensure it can keep operating next year.
This year’s parade will take place on Nov. 24 and is set to welcome upwards of 750,000 attendees.
CEO and president of the Original Santa Claus Parade, Clay Charters, told TorontoToday if just a fraction of attendees donate $2, the parade will be able to secure its future operations.
Charters said the parade has relied on “its own surplus” of cash in recent years to ensure Santa still comes to town. The CEO said the non-profit must now make “drastic efforts” to ensure it can continue.
If the parade isn’t able to fundraise the full $250,000, Charters said there will be no Santa Claus Parade next year.
“It is critical that we hit that mark, and perhaps even exceed it,” he stressed. “Without hitting that mark, the parade is in jeopardy and will not return in 2025.”
The main driver of the parade’s financial trouble is shrinking corporate sponsorships, Charters said.
“If you compare 2024 to 2019, our sponsorship revenue has declined by about 30 per cent or more,” he told TorontoToday.
On top of the decreased revenue, the parade is also struggling to keep up with the inflationary costs of materials and labour needed to build the parade’s floats and create costumes.
The parade incurs year-round expenses as well, including the cost of warehouse space to store the floats.
“All of those things lead to a large expenditure. Every year we are doing everything we can and to limit those costs,” Charters said. “In fact, this year, we will have lower expenses than we did in 2019 in an effort to limit our costs.”
The GoFundMe is just one part in the parade’s plan to raise more money. The organization has stepped up its outreach for corporate sponsors and is communicating with various levels of government.
Former Toronto mayor John Tory expressed his support for the parade’s crowdfunding campaign at a press event on Thursday.
“Like many people in our city, I’ve attended this Parade for years, first as a child, then as a father, and now as a grandfather,” Tory said in a press release. “Moreover, in my past role as mayor, I have personally witnessed the incredible diversity of the Parade attendees and the jubilation it brings, something we need more of — so I’m imploring the people of Toronto to give what you can. Together, I know we can keep this Parade’s extraordinary legacy alive.”
Charters called the parade an “institution” and celebrated the fact people of “all races, creeds and religions” turn up for the procession.
“The parade is not just about Christmas. The parade is about the community of Toronto,” he said.
This year, the Santa Claus Parade will travel east down Bloor Street and briefly divert onto Hoskin Avenue, before returning to its traditional route, heading south down University Avenue and eventually terminating at St. Lawrence Market.
Charters said he remembers watching the parade as a kid with his grandparents on University Avenue. He’s heard some attendees now take their kids to the same street corners their own parents and grandparents brought them to when they were younger.
“Those stories, they're real. And it drives us to make sure that the parade continues to come back,” he said.
There will be 26 floats in this year’s parade, which will be accompanied by marchers, bands and a special appearance from Emma Memma, a former member of the Wiggles.
For the first time this year, the parade will be livestreamed on YouTube.
