Toronto, Ontario — The night lit up with festive colours last weekend in Surrey, B.C. as decorated cars, trucks and floats alike paraded the city streets for the 14th annual Surrey Santa Parade of Lights.
About 15,000 spectators attended the parade on Sunday, Dec. 1, to watch 80 Christmas light-wrapped vehicles shine down the road. Boyd Autobody and Glass acted as the event’s presenting sponsor, which allowed this year’s parade route to grow by 500 metres, making it over a kilometre in length. The company even brought along eight CFL players—including the parade marshall for this year, Canadian wide receiver Marco Iannuzzi.
The Parade of Lights served to collect donations to three of the city’s primary charities: the Surrey Christmas Bureau; a foundation aimed towards helping low-income families afford holiday gifts, the Cloverdale Christmas Hamper; which helps the less fortunate by supplying non-perishable foods throughout the winter, and the Surrey Food Bank.
This year’s Parade of Lights has been the most successful in the event’s 13-year history, according to Paul Orazietti, the executive director of the Cloverdale Business Improvement Association and also parade organizer.
“I’m super happy with it,” Orazietti told Surrey Now-Leader. “The weather was perfect. The crowd was happy. The crowd donated a lot and we supported a variety of charities.”
Drone footage of the parade will be shared by Orazietti at the Cloverdale District Chamber of Commerce luncheon on Tuesday, Dec. 10.
