Mrs. Claus and her famous jolly husband won’t be greeting children on Baker Street anymore if new elves can’t be found to put on their annual parade.
The Nelson Business Association is folding, and one casualty of that is the annual Santa on Baker Parade in December. Association member and former city councillor Margaret Stacey said she hopes someone else steps in to take over the city’s holiday bash.
“I’m a grandmother. My grand kids love it,” said Stacey. “But my life has gone such that I can’t do that event anymore.”
Stacey said a lack of commitment within the association gradually led to its demise, and with it projects such as the parade.
“We changed our mandate a little bit more to advocacy and bringing groups together, talking about bylaws, doing surveys and things like that,” she said. “There was quite a bit of good work, but it doesn’t seem to be what people were interested in.”
Stephanie Myers, a member of the association, said the $600-$700 needed to put on the event has already been raised, participants including Nelson Fire and Rescue are still interested, and that the Claus’s are keen to make the return trip from the North Pole to Nelson.
All the parade needs, she said, are people committed enough to pull it all together.
“It’s a ton of volunteer hours put in by people who don’t need to do it,” said Myers. “I can’t help myself, I love a parade. It’s just a ton of work.”
Anyone interested in stepping up can contact Myers at either 250-505-7410 or stephaniemyersfundraising@gmail.com.
tyler.harper@nelsonstar.com
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