With a month to go, organizers of this year's Super Santa Run in Amherstburg are eager to get the word that after a three-year pause, the event is back.
The 5 km run, walk, or wheel starts at 5 p.m. on November 18, the same night the Amherstburg River Lights Festival starts.
Town Councillor and Essex Region Conservation Foundation member Molly Allaire said more than 100 Santas have already signed up. She would like to see that number climb to 500.
The event raises money to upkeep conservation areas in Essex County, including Holiday Beach near Amherstburg.
"The new Build '23 actually prevents us from spending taxation money on these areas, and Amherstburg is very important for Holiday Beach. We take care of that area, and now we have no extra funds for it," said Allaire. "We're doing our best to raise the extra funds."
The Essex Region Conservation Authority holds several fundraisers, including a golf tournament each August.
The run starts at the corner of Richmond Street and Dalhousie Street under the clock tower.
"You go through Fort Malden, and then you go through King's Navy Yard Park," explained Allaire. "After you get hot chocolate and the lights go up."
The entrance fee is $39 for youth and $49 for adults. Pledge sheets are available online, and the first Santa across the finish line wins free admission to the 2024 race.
