CORNELIUS, N.C. — A Christmas Boat Parade that just started with a couple friends has now turned into a huge spectacle at Lake Norman.

• The Christmas Boat Parade started three years ago as a husband's gift to his wife for her 50th birthday
• It has grown into an event that draws thousands who either want to watch or participate
• The nonprofit group Little Smiles also collects toy donations along the parade route to help children facing devastating circumstances such as illness or trauma

The parade took off from Blythe Landing Saturday night. There were boats dressed as Santa's sleigh, Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer, a "Frozen" themed boat, and even what looked like a forklift. It was way more than the founder, Colin Furcht, ever imagined when it started just three years ago.

"The plan was to just have a couple of boats out in the cove and just have a little get together," Furcht said. "So I put it out on Facebook as an event and that got forwarded and shared."

Before they knew it, thousands wanted to either watch or participate.

"We had to get the town involved and the lake commission involved," Furcht said. "This was certainly bigger than we expected."

"This is something we really wanted to make a tradition and that is what it has become, a Lake Norman tradition, that everyone gets to enjoy," Furcht's wife, Lizette Totillo said.

Furcht said the first year it was simply a gift for his wife's 50th birthday, but it turned into a gift for the whole community and more.

"I spent a year in the hospital as a child, it’s very lonely it’s very scary," said Little Smiles founder, Magi Kyle.

Kyle is the founder of the nonprofit, Little Smiles. It helps children who are facing devastating circumstances such as illness or trauma. At every stop along the parade toys were collected for those children.

"We don’t just go and give out toys because you don’t know whether they will be used or appreciated," Kyle said. "We strictly work through the nurses."

Any toys Little Smiles doesn't use are given to Toys for Tots.

"We are just grateful," Furcht said. "The acceptance of the community has been fantastic."