The Easter bunny makes an appearance at the annual Toronto Beaches Easter Parade on April 24, 2011. COURTESY: Maniy Bala Maniymaran

The organizers of the upcoming Beaches Easter Parade have a message for politicians: stay away.

The Toronto Beaches Lions Club wants to make the parade a political-free zone, and is encouraging elected officials, including mayoral candidates, not to use the event as a campaign venue.

Officials said they want the parade to be about community and families, and not about the hotly-contested race for mayor.

Mayoral candidates John Tory and Karen Stintz told the Toronto Sun they wont be attending.

Mayor Rob Ford said he received an invitation from the parade organizers and has not yet been told were not invited.

We still havent gotten a formal non-invite to the parade. We just heard it through the news, Ford told reporters at city hall on Tuesday afternoon.

The mayor said he respects their decision.

Im not going to be there If they dont want us there, they dont want us there, Ford said.

Theyre probably thinking now that its an election year, there will be a lot of candidates there, no doubt, and they dont want to turn it political, and I understand that.

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Politicians asked to stay away from Beaches Easter Parade: report