After a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, the Toronto St. Patrick’s Parade made a triumphant return on Sunday, March 20, much to the delight of thousands of individuals who lined the streets to enjoy the festivities.
First introduced in 1988, the St. Patrick’s Parade is Toronto’s largest celebration of all things Irish, a day filled with lively music, dance, floats and entertainment for people of all ages. According to parade organizers, this was the largest turnout in their 34-year history, attracting over 4,000 spectators!
This year, the amazing members of the Toronto Professional Firefighters’ Association were out in full force in support of Daily Bread, collecting non-perishable food items and monetary donations along the parade route. In total, members of the public generously donated the equivalent of 10,000 meals!
Shawna Taylor, Marketing and Communications Coordinator with Daily Bread, marched in the parade alongside other Daily Bread staff and was thrilled to see the level of excitement along the route. “Marching in the parade was a very surreal experience,” said Taylor. “Seeing the outpouring of generosity and the literal excitement as people ran out to give us donations really underscored the impact Daily Bread has on not just our clients, but the community as a whole.”
It was an incredible day, celebrating the return of this fantastic event and we are deeply grateful to everyone at the Toronto Professional Firefighters’ Association, the organizers of the parade, volunteers, and the public for their efforts in assisting Daily Bread Food Bank in our fight to end hunger in our city.
If you would like to learn more about organizing a community food drive or fundraising initiative, please contact Michelle Silva at [email protected].
