The Winnipeg Santa Claus Parade Committee has confirmed that the man in red himself will be once again travelling down the streets of Winnipeg this year after an emergency fundraising exceeded its goal.
Last week the organizers of the annual event asked Winnipeggers to help cover a shortfall in funding that threatened to stop it in its tracks. The committee said at the time that they were $68,000 short for construction of a new float and operating expenses.
Winnipeg Santa Claus Parade Director Monica Derksen said at the time that “The current float is more than 60 years old. With extreme winter temperatures and wear and tear for decades, the old Eaton’s billboards, key to the structural integrity, are damaged beyond repair. The decor is crumbling and the snowmen disintegrating,”
The group had set up a go-fund-me page in an effort to raise the $ 100,000 in capital needed but had only raised $32,000 by September 24th. They had a deadline of October 5, 2018, to raise all the cash needed or they would have no choice but to cancel the event that had cruised the streets of the city 108 times before.
“This campaign brought people together in a common goal with hundreds of donations ranging from $5 to $40,000 from individuals, organizations, foundations and businesses of all sizes,” said Derksen.
The 2018 Santa Claus Parade will take place on November 17th.
© 2018 News 4
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