The Toronto Santa Claus Parade Needs Your Help

Santa has a chance to keep in shape this year with the first ever Holly Jolly Fun Run in support of the Toronto Santa Claus parade this weekend.

The Toronto Santa Claus Parade has been a feature of the Christmas Season for over one hundred years for people from all over the city, province and even the country. This year, the running community has a chance to support a timeless and important tradition by participating in this new fundraising initiative for the parade.

“The Holly Jolly Fun Run is meant to be a time when people can get out and be cheered on by the crowds waiting to watch the parade,” said Melanie Fillip a spokesperson for the run.

Only 2000 runners in total will have a chance to run an exclusive course throughout the parade route before the event kicks off on Saturday. It’s a 5km run that intends to be fun and people are encouraged to don their most festive running gear… or tinsel.

The Santa Claus Parade has been part of Toronto tradition since 1905 when Santa himself made his first official visit to the city on December 2nd of that year.

Every year following this inaugural trip, Santa has helped kick off the Christmas season spreading joy and the spirit of giving on Toronto’s downtown streets. Each year has been an equally magical experience as crowds from all over Toronto line the streets in hopes of catching a glimpse of the man in red. His 1923 entrance was captured in the record books of the city’s history was a particularly magical one; Santa’s sleigh was pulled down Yonge Street by eight live reindeer, transported to the city for the occasion from Labrador, Newfoundland.

Over the years, as the parade began to expand and technology advanced, traditions began to shift and change with the times. Despite this, there are still so many elements of the parade rooted in the history of the city – Santa’s trademark sleigh led by eight white mechanical reindeer was developed in 1953 and it’s still the model used today.

The Holly Jolly Fun run is a way to help support the parade and keep the tradition alive. In addition to the standard charitable tax receipt, runners will receive a set of red woolly hat and mittens.

If you haven’t registered yet, you still have a chance to do so!! Go to www.thehollyjollyfunrun.com to sign up now and help bring Santa back to one of North America’s largest cities.

The Holly Jolly Fun Run kicks off this Sunday November 17 at noon.

Thanks for staying festive and thanks for staying Up to Speed!