NEWS RELEASE
ORILLIA DISTRICT CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
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The Orillia District Chamber of Commerce (ODCC) extends its heartfelt appreciation to the sponsors, volunteers, and community members who helped ensure the success of the Orillia Santa Claus Parade.
The parade, which took place in downtown Orillia on Nov. 18, is an annual event hosted by the ODCC. It is organized by chamber staff and volunteers and funded by local business sponsors and ODCC members.
Two years ago, the ODCC rescheduled the event from its traditional Sunday afternoon time frame to Saturday evening. The decision to reimagine the parade as a nighttime event was not taken lightly given the event’s long history and popularity. Recognizing the diverse needs of the community and in particular families with young children, a 5 p.m. start time was chosen to allow ample time for families to enjoy the festivities and still get home by bedtime.
The bold move to revise the timing of the parade paid off with an outstanding response from the community. Attendance at the past two parades has exceeded expectations, and positive feedback has poured in from both spectators and participants.
As an organization, the ODCC sometimes encounters public misconceptions about its identity and role in the community. The ODCC is a non-profit, non-governmental, membership-based organization of local businesses from across Orillia, the surrounding townships, and Rama First Nation. While the ODCC often collaborates and co-operates with various community partners including local municipalities and BIAs, it is a separate entity, directed by a volunteer board elected by its membership. Without the support of its members, the businesses listed at orillia.com, the ODCC would not exist or be able to offer community programming like the Santa Claus Parade.
Several community partners were crucial to this year’s parade’s success. The Kiwanis club provided a bucket brigade to collect donations along the route to help offset some of the costs associated with the parade such as policing and equipment rentals. The Lions Club of Orillia was on site at the parade staging area to provide hot chocolate and doughnuts to parade volunteers and participants, and the Rotary Club of Orillia provided volunteers who helped with marshalling and setup.
The volunteers provided by the Rotary Club, Lions Club, and Kiwanis Club, along with volunteers from the ODCC’s membership and the general community, including several local high school students, played a pivotal role in making the parade possible. As a non-profit with a small number of staff and a limited budget, the ODCC would not be able to hold the parade without volunteer support.
The parade also received tremendous sponsor support this year, with Norscape Landscape and Pond Depot and Eagle Landscaping stepping in as presenting sponsors. Other major sponsors included Jim Wilson Chevrolet, Northern Performance Windows and Doors, The Burton Team Investment Planning Counsel, R&F Construction DKI, and McCauley Equipment Sales. A full list of sponsors is available at www.orillia.com/santa-claus-parade.
In addition to the volunteers and sponsors, parade participants were integral to the parade’s success. Over 85 local service clubs, community groups, and businesses contributed their time and effort to create a magical experience for spectators. Toromont CAT partnered with The Sharing Place to collect food donations along the route, and Canada Post volunteers collected children’s letters to Santa.
Of course, a parade couldn’t be a success without the spectators who come out to watch it. The goal of the parade is to bring the community together to kick off the holiday season, and that goal was realized thanks to the support of the Orillia and area citizens and visitors who attended.
The ODCC is reminding the Orillia and area community to shop local this holiday season.
“Shopping local supports the businesses that support the community and make the parade happen,” says ODCC executive director Allan Lafontaine. “Local businesses are the backbone of the local economy, and their tax contributions are significant in providing essentials like education and health care. While it is easy to jump online and order gifts that show up to your door from far away, that money leaves your community forever. This holiday season, we hope you choose local, to keep local alive and well.”
The parade was recorded by Rogers TV and will air in December. Awards for the top floats, as determined by volunteer judges, will be presented before the holidays and will be announced on the chamber’s Facebook page.
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