Sunshine Marks 25 Years of Backing Lions Festival of Lights

CALGARY, ALBERTA--(Marketwire - Nov. 22, 2011) - This year marks the 25^th anniversary of the Scurfield family stepping forward to revive the Lion's Festival of Lights, Calgary's largest free Christmas light display. It will be celebrated Saturday at Confederation Park in Calgary, with the official kickoff, starting at 5 p.m.

The Lion's Festival of Lights is the largest free drive-by Christmas Lights showcase in Calgary. It is comprised of almost 100,000 lights along 14^th Street Northwest, and runs from late November to early January.

When the Lions Festival of Lights needed a new key sponsor back in 1987, Sunshine Village and the Scurfield family donated $100,000 to ensure the festival was revived. Donations over the years now exceed $300,000.

"Growing up as a child in Calgary, this was special treat for my family," said John Scurfield, Senior Vice president Resort operations, Marketing and Sales. "This event is for the children and for the children inside each one of us. It is our way of saying, 'Thank-you, Calgary.'"

The Festival is organized by the Lions Festival of Lights Society and Lions from Calgary and area donate their time to construct the displays.

In 2011, there is a distinctly green hue to Calgary's largest FREE drive-by Christmas light display. Volunteers have converted 50,000 light bulbs from the conventional incandescent bulbs to energy-saving LEDs.

The display will be illuminated daily from 7 p.m. to midnight Nov. 27, 2011 until Jan. 8, 2012. Nearly 53,000 people per day are expected to view the display.