Alberta Children’s Hospital rings in Stampede early with annual “kids parade”

There were squeals, laughs and giggles galore outside the Alberta Children’s Hospital on Thursday.

The facility teamed up with the Calgary Stampede to ring in the “Stampede season” early for patients and their families.

In the morning, they gathered outside for the annual “kids parade” along University Avenue.

There were 32 entries this year, everything from Calgary Police Motorcycles, which escorted the Stampede Showband into the viewing area, to the Calgary Fire Department and City of Calgary street sweepers.

660News was invited to take in and cover the special event.

Sandy Baggott is the Discipline Lead for Child Life Special Events with the Alberta Children’s Hospital.

“It’s incredibly exciting,” she said. “We look forward to this every year. This is our 8th annual Children’s Hospital Stampede Parade. We have a partnership with the Calgary Stampede Parade and Promotions Committee, so we work together with them to do all the planning and organizing, and obviously all the wonderful parade participants who volunteer their time to come today as well as tomorrow for the main parade.”

Baggott says spectators are patients and families with the Alberta Children’s Hospital who are being treated at the facility.

“We have marching bands, floats, horses, we have EMS, helicopters land in the field to support the event as well, so lots and lots of participation,” Baggott said. “It’s a great distraction from their day to day medical treatments (the patients), it’s an opportunity for them to partake in the Stampede when they may not able to go downtown if they’re not feeling well enough, so just to bring a small part of the Stampede spirit to the Hospital feels really, really good.”

Katie Osborne brought her entire family to see the festivities.

“This is my third year coming,” she explained. “It’s phenomenal. It’s fun for the kids and it’s super-interactive. Afterwards, you get to see and be one-on-one with the horses and all the entertainment they have down here at the hospital.”

Her daughter Keelyn tells 660News she was looking forward to some “horse-time.”

“Cause I just like horses because they can be really cool,” the 7-year-old said.

“I think it’s pretty good, this is my first time so I think it’s pretty awesome,” Ainsley, another parade-goer said.

Her brother Levi said his favourite part was the “army guys”, while their sister Ellery liked the floats best.

Crystal works with Air Canada. She runs an inflatable airplane for the children and seeing their reaction keeps her coming back year after year.

“It’s so much fun, there’s so much energy, people, happy smiles, it’s cool and I love it,” she said. “Getting out there and getting to high five them; it’s wonderful!

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