2020 Festival of Trees Brightens the Season
The 31st annual Festival of Trees, presented by Syncrude, was full of surprises and unique ways of bringing seasonal joy to the community. It was also a tremendous fundraiser for the Northern Lights Health Fountation (NLHF). We would like to thank our sponsors, the tree creators, the bidders, volunteers, and everyone who attended Winter Wonderland, purchased silent auction items, and purchased Giant Toy Box Raffle and 50/50 Raffle tickets. Together, we raised $430,000 (after expenses) for healthcare initiatives in our region.
In order to present the 2020 Festival of Trees, while maintaining all social distancing and Alberta Health Services protocols, the NLHF put many Festival events online. The Festival 50/50 Raffle and the Giant Toy Box Raffle were both online. All silent auction items, and the decorated trees, were both online and on display in the Winter Wonderland Showcase at the North Terminal of the Fort McMurray International Airport.
The Winter Wonderland showcase was open from November 14 – 24. Originally scheduled to run until November 28, the venue was closed early in response to new restrictions from Alberta Health Services. Guests who were able to enjoy Winter Wonderland enjoyed a beautifully decorated space, gorgeous trees, an exciting silent auction, and a photo booth. As well, every child who attended received a gift.
This year’s Festival Gala Tree Auction was held Saturday Nov. 21 and was both online and live from Winter Wonderland! Auctioneer Danny Hopper sold 15 trees to an at-home audience over Zoom, with the show also livestreamed to the Health Foundation’s Facebook page. The Gala Live Tree Auction raised a much-appreciated $192,250!
To close out the Festival activities, the draws for the Giant Toy Box Raffle presented by APE Maintenance and the Festival 50/50 Raffle will be held on December 7. These draws will be livestreamed to the Health Foundation Facebook page @NLHealthFoundation.
Winners of the silent auction items are asked to pick up their items at the North Terminal of the airport between Sunday, November 29 and Tuesday, December 1 between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m.
Festival of Trees, presented by Syncrude, is a major fundraising event for the Health Foundation and serves as the Foundation’s largest source of unrestricted revenue, supporting operations and health initiatives. We appreciate the community’s support of this year’s event, held in different ways under challenging circumstances.
Established in 1985, the Northern Lights Health Foundation exists to provide funds to support health care priorities within the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo. The Health Foundation is proudly accredited under Imagine Canada’s Standards Program. For more information, visit www.northernlightshealthfoundation.ca.
For more information, please contact:
Cindy Amerongen
Northern Lights Health Foundation
Tel: 780-791-6178 Cell: 780-715-5881 Email: cindy.amerongen@ahs.ca