Successful 2021 Festival of Trees Brings Hope for 2022
The 32nd annual Festival of Trees, presented by Syncrude, was completely online with joy and festivities for all ages. It once again brought the community together and has spread hope for a happier, healthier 2022. The weekend was also another successful fundraiser for the Northern Lights Health Foundation (NLHF)!
We would like to thank our sponsors, the tree creators, the bidders, and everyone who snapped up memorable moments on the Virtual Santa’s Elves Photo Booth. A massive thank you to all who attended online and participated in the Ugly Sweater Day, the Home Sweet Home Online Gala, Story Time with Santa, the Father-Daughter Sugar Plum Fairy Ball and all of the Family Fun Day activities. We also want to thank all those who purchased items in the Tale of Trees and Winter Wonderland silent auctions, Giant Toy Box Raffle and Festival Stocking Stuffer 50/50 Raffle tickets. And a special thank you for the donors who added teddy bears to the Tree of Hope. Together, we raised $410,000 (after expenses) for healthcare initiatives in our region.
In order to present the 2021 Festival of Trees, while maintaining all social distancing and Alberta Health Services protocols, the NLHF put all Festival events online and all events were a resounding success, proving the Fort McMurray Wood Buffalo community spirit is as strong and festive as ever! We were on location at the Suncor Community Leisure Center throughout Festival weekend to accept Tree of Hope donations and send out live social media messages.
This year’s Festival Tale of Trees auction was completely online and the bidding action happened all weekend long. Auctioneer Danny Hooper described each tree and told it’s story and guests could watch the video throughout the weekend to learn more about each tree.
To close out the Festival activities, the draws for the Giant Toy Box Raffle and the Festival Stocking Stuffer 50/50 Raffle were held on November 22 at 11 a.m. These draws were live-streamed to the Health Foundation Facebook page @NLHealthFoundation. Winners were contacted and the names and ticket numbers are on the Health Foundation website.
Successful bidders on the silent auction items are asked to pick up their items at the North Terminal Fort McMurray International Airport between November 22–24 from 12:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m.
The 32nd Annual Festival of Trees, presented by Syncrude, was 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 virtually under ongoing safety protocols.