British Columbia·NewIt began as an idea to spear holiday cheer during the first winter of the COVID-19 pandemic, but the “Parade with a Purpose” has now grown into one of Kelowna’s biggest holiday events and a major fundraiser for youth mental health. The parade has raised more than $700,000 for youth mental health and addiction servicesCBC News · Posted: Dec 06, 2025 8:00 AM EST | Last Updated: 30 minutes agoListen to this articleEstimated 4 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by text-to-speech, a technology based on artificial intelligence.Performers in last year’s Parade with a Purpose make their way down Bernard Avenue in downtown Kelowna. Organizers expect attendance to grow again this year as the event marks its fifth anniversary, raising funds for youth mental health supports. (Aspire Media)A holiday event that began in 2020 during the pandemic with three floats on pickup trucks has now become one of Kelowna’s big winter events, drawing thousands to the city’s downtown core.The “Parade with a Purpose” began as a way to lift spirits and spread holiday cheer during COVID-19 lockdowns, according to event co-founder Shadia Doty.“It was a family idea sitting around the Sunday dinner table,” Doty said in an interview with CBC’s Daybreak South. “And my dad actually said, ‘Wouldn’t it be cool to do a parade?'”Anything [about] Christmas, my mom and I, we just go full throttle’.”Within days, Doty and her mother Pam Turgeon had decorated a pickup truck, recruited a Santa Claus and paraded through the Kettle Valley neighbourhood to collect food donations. LISTEN | Parade with a Purpose returns to downtown Kelowna:Daybreak South6:33Parade with a Purpose returns to downtown KelownaIt started in a pickup truck as a way to spread holiday cheer during the pandemic. Now in its fifth year, the Parade with a Purpose has raised thousands for youth mental health and brings over 30 floats to downtown Kelowna. She said the moment would become the start of something deeper, and the parade was shaped by years of loss.“I lost my brother to mental health and addiction in 2016,” she said. “He struggled since he was 16 with addiction issues rooted in trauma, as most kids do when they turn to drugs.”Doty’s brother’s death came nine years after her husband’s death to an accidental overdose. The same year she lost her brother, she also lost a friend who was a nanny to her children.Shadia Doty, left, and Pam Turgeon started the parade five years ago in Kettle Valley with just three trucks, as a way to spread holiday cheer in their neighbourhood during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Submitted)Doty says the parade eventually turned into a drive to raise funds for mental health supports, and honour people whose lives were cut short by mental-health and addiction challenges.“Navigating grief in the holidays and navigating grief in general is difficult, but we’ve decided to channel it and support the community,” the organizer said.After the initial neighbourhood drive in their pickups in 2020, fundraising jumped year after year.Over the last four years, the mother-and-daughter duo have raised more than $700,000. According to the organizers, the funds were first raised for the Bridge Youth & Family Services.It’s helping the non-profit build a youth recovery house, that provides a live-in program for youth aged 12 to 18 who are facing serious mental health challenges.Scenes from last year’s Parade with a Purpose in downtown Kelowna. (Aspire Media)This year, funds raised will support the KGH Foundation, which is directing donations to youth mental health care at Kelowna General Hospital.On Saturday, the parade returns to Kelowna, and organizers say they expect 35 floats to move down Bernard Avenue and about 20,000 people to attend.“Kelowna is very unique, it’s full of people who genuinely care — and when you see thousands of people line Bernard, it’s emotional, it’s inspiring,” Doty said.In anticipation of the turnout, road closures and parking restrictions are in place, according to the City of Kelowna.A float decorated with illuminated letters and holiday ornaments during last year’s parade in Kelowna. The City of Kelowna has put in road closures and parking restrictions in anticipation of Saturday’s event. (Aspire Media)MLA praises eventThe parade has also drawn attention from local officials. In the B.C. Legislature last week, Kelowna-Mission MLA Gavin Dew highlighted the event as “one of Kelowna’s most meaningful holiday traditions,” saying it began as “a way of turning grief into purpose, sorrow into service, and heartbreak into hope.”Parade with a Purpose started as a way of turning grief into purpose, sorrow into service, and heartbreak into hope.It has become one of Kelowna’a most meaningful holiday traditions, supporting mental health care. Give if you can. ⬇️https://t.co/gZ72D6ANfN pic.twitter.com/T0roMsL0bS—gavindewHe encouraged residents to attend and support the cause.Despite all the growth, Doty says the motivation behind the event hasn’t changed.“It will always be family-led,” she said. “Our goal is to keep the tradition alive, make a real difference, always have a charitable component and let young people know that we got them.”With files from CBC’s Daybreak South
Kelowna parade that began with just 3 floats now raises hundreds of thousands for youth mental health
