Kelowna’s famous Candy Cane Lane lit up on Dec. 1 to spread some holiday cheer.
Each year, houses on and around Collison Road turn on their Christmas lights on the first day of December at 5 p.m. to create Candy Cane Lane and collect non-perishable food donations for local charities.
John Sharhon is one of the forces behind the light up that has taken place for 13 years.
“There was about 50 people involved this year it looks like, maybe a little more,” he said, adding that he doesn’t believe you can go overboard on holiday decor.
Sharhon said the ultimate purpose of Candy Cane Lane is “to make people smile,” but that the charity aspect has been a great way to support the lesser-known organizations in town, like a local breakfast program at Spring Valley Elementary and the men’s and women’s shelters in Kelowna.
Sharhon said Candy Cane Lane will light up every evening until the end of December from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. He noted that the food donation bin is easy to locate at the corner of Collison and Gramiak roads. Big ticket items include cereals and boxed meals like Kraft Dinner.
Those wanting to check out the holiday lights display are asked to be respectful and patient when visiting. People are asked not to touch the displays and not to trespass on people’s properties. Those driving the route are also asked not to block driveways and to drive with extra caution as many people are visiting the display on foot.
“It’s a good thing, it helps a lot of people, and the biggest thing is… it puts smiles on all faces, little kids, seniors, everybody. If you don’t smile when you walk by here, you’re not human,” Sharhon laughed.
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