Organizers of the Santa Maria Christmas Parade of Lights - this marks the 15th edition of the holiday tradition that boasts a charitable twist - have set Nov. 20 as the application deadline.

This year's Parade of Lights will kick off at 5:20 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 5. In case of rain that day, the backup date is Dec. 12.

"The 2009 version of the Parade of Lights in Santa Maria marks a special anniversary for our community. ... ," said Mike Gibson, parade chairman and member of Santa Maria Breakfast Rotary Club. "We are very honored as Rotarians to have been given the opportunity to host this event for 15 years now."

The parade is sponsored by the four Rotary Clubs of Santa Maria Valley and Nipomo, along with the Santa Maria Times and KCOY/KKFX television.

Entries are limited to the first

105 applications, so groups are urged to not procrastinate. Those crafting floats and other entries are encouraged to use lots of lights.

The parade route travels north on Broadway from Stowell Road to the Santa Maria Town Center.

"Joy of Giving" will return as the theme of the procession, which aims to gather canned food to donate to the Salvation Army.

Participants and spectators are urged to bring nonperishable food that will be placed in bins along the route.

Organized by Lions Club members for years, Santa Maria's holiday parade didn't happen in 1994. That prompted Santa Maria Breakfast Rotary Club members to take on the parade as a project, enlisting financial support from the Santa Maria Times.

Rotarians decided to bring the gift of giving to the parade by urging everyone to donate canned food.

Recognizing the event was too enormous for one club to handle, Breakfast Rotarians recruited counterparts from two other Santa Maria Valley clubs plus the Rotary Club of Nipomo.

Since then, all four have shared the various roles required to power the Parade of Lights, which has grown through the years.

One of the newest features has been the Winter Wonderland at the end of the parade route, giving youngsters a chance to play and sled in a huge pile of snow. Open to children 8 years and younger, the only fee to join in the winter fun is canned food.

Other additions included figurines in the center divider near the mall, live broadcast of the parade on KCOY and KKFX, and holiday banners installed along Broadway.

This year the parade added major sponsors: Rabobank, Marian Medical Center and the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians.

"We hope the entire community can attend the parade, and that small children can stay around afterwards with their families for the Winter Wonderland at the mall to enjoy the snow," Gibson said.

For applications or more information, go to www.smparadeof

lights.com.