DALLAS — The downtown Dallas Holiday Parade has a new sponsor, which means the parade will go on this year after earlier concerns over funding.
"It has been a tumultuous three months as we have tried to swim through the sharks figuring out what we were going to do and how we could fund the parade," Jeffrey Giles said. He's the executive producer of the Dallas Holiday Parade.
"We got a phone call from a friend that said, 'Hey, I think we might be a great fit,'" he said excitedly.
"Our underwriting partner that will be presenting our parade this year, Verizon," Giles announced in a press conference Tuesday.
Verizon officials confirmed that the company is stepping in as the new sponsor of the parade, which happens annually in downtown Dallas.
"This is great news. We are just thrilled and excited to be part of the community here, ensuring that a holiday staple like the Dallas Holiday Parade continues," said Michelle Miller, Senior Vice President of Verizon Coastal Plains Market. "We can't wait to be there as volunteers, and be there as viewers, and be there as attendees."
Toyota was the previous lead sponsor for the last six years, but the automaker withdrew as the sponsor in August.
Children's Health was previously a sponsor of the parade.
It wasn't yet clear how much Verizon would contribute to put on the parade, but Toyota's sponsorship was in the range of $250,000-$300,000, parade officials have previously said.
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