Your Easter Bonnet Might Have To Be A Kelvar Helmet

Especially if you are thinking of being a part of the Easter Parade in the Beaches.

Parade rejection `kick in stomach'

Pet groomers angry after Lions Club denied them status as Easter Parade's major sponsor
March 30, 2007
Matthew Chung
Staff Reporter

Shane Carr and Carl Milson had big fundraising plans for the dog walk portion of the Easter Day Parade hosted by the Toronto Beaches Lions Club.

But those plans were a little too big for parade organizers, who shot them down.

Since then, Carr and Milson, executives of pet grooming company A Touch of Love, have been bombarding the Lions Club with emails demanding to know why they've been excluded from the event. Others in the community are asking questions as well.

"This is ridiculous," said Don Belyea, a resident of the Beaches area. "They were offering thousands of dollars worth of things to the parade."

The couple claim the club that's hung out to dry plans to make Ed the Sock parade grand marshal have broken a verbal agreement that would have seen them be corporate sponsors of the dog parade.

They say they're feeling hurt because it was the Lions that contacted them and appeared enthusiastic about their ideas to get more money for charity.

"It's a kick in the stomach," said Carr. "It's sort of hurtful. You're giving a good gesture. People don't give much nowadays."

The club says no agreement existed because organizers didn't fully understand what was being offered. Parade organizer Bob Kelly said that making the company a major sponsor would have risked scaring other local storeowners away. "If we said that (A Touch of Love) was the main sponsor of the parade . . . It would exclude everybody," Kelly said.

But no one mentioned that problem to Carr and Milson back in Feburary when they first told parade co-organizer Chris Yacatto and Lions president Bill Field about their plans to offer prizes valued at more than $2,000, Carr said.

To help bolster participation in the walk, A Touch of Love, located on Queen St. E., was offering 100 paw protectors worth $16.99 each to the first 100 dogs to register and $500 in gift basket prizes.

They were also offering, free of charge, to design posters for the walk, an ad in the local newspaper and assistance in organizing the event. Carr also planned to have a reception after the parade where they'd provide beverages and cookies.

Yacatto said the decision was made "based on the fact that we felt the Lions Club parade was becoming A Touch of Love's parade."

The club offered for the company to sponsor five dogs in the walk at a cost of $125, which was offered to all local storeowners.

The couple is too disappointed to participate in the parade now, said Carr. "I took the thousands of dollars that would be involved in that event and I'm leaving for Sunday to Mexico."