It was the largest edition of the Festival of Trees yet, with four events packed into three days, and organizers are pleased with the support from the community.
The fourth annual fundraiser for the St. Joseph’s Hospital Foundation was held from Friday to Sunday at Affinity Place. Each event created an opportunity for the foundation to raise money and create awareness, while offering a fun environment.
“We are so impressed with the turnout at all four events, and so grateful for all the people who came,” executive director Becky Conly said in an interview with the Mercury.
The festival opened with a seniors’ tea on Friday afternoon that was named Oh Come All Ye Seniors. It featured tea, dainties, live music and a visit from Santa Claus. It attracted about 150 people.
A father-daughter gala, Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies, followed on Friday evening. Approximately 130 girls and their fathers attended the supper, and they enjoyed music, dance and fairy-themed activities.
The main fundraiser was a gala on Saturday night that attracted more than 500 spectators, and nearly 100 more volunteers and workers.
Rory Allen, a Saskatchewan-based Elvis Presley tribute artist, was the entertainment for the evening. He brought an 11-piece band with him to Estevan, and performed many of Presley’s biggest hits and several Christmas carols.
Spectators also enjoyed several interactive games and other activities to celebrate Christmas music and movies.
A live auction and a silent auction raised funds for the foundation as well.
The festival wrapped up with Santa’s Breakfast with the Bruins on Sunday morning. Breakfast was served to more than 820 people, and Conly estimates more than 1,000 people attended the event.
Children enjoyed activities such as games, crafts, face-painting and a visit with Santa Claus. Members of the Power Dodge Estevan Bruins helped out with the activities.
“Going in we didn’t know what to expect,” said Conly. “We just really wanted to broaden the spectrum of the Festival of Trees. It’s now an actual festival with four events over three days.”
Attractions at each event included a Minion Dance Party, in which volunteers dressed as minion movie characters and danced to the song Happy, and a Whoville village and photo booth.
The brightly-decorated Christmas trees were also displayed throughout the weekend.
“The trees themselves were absolutely gorgeous,” said Conly. “Every year we have a committee of volunteers who spend at least 25 hours each putting these trees together. They come for three nights, and then some of them come back after that to finish them off. Without the volunteers of the tree decorating committee, there wouldn’t be a Festival of Trees.”
More than 200 volunteers helped out during the three days.
Conly said they don’t know how much money has been raised through this year’s event. The live and silent auctions raised more than $65,000 combined.
Money also came in through ticket sales at the father-daughter gala and the main fundraising gala, and donations at the seniors’ tea and the pancake breakfast.
“When we started in 2013, we had a vision, and that vision was to allow everyone from southeast Saskatchewan, regardless of what demographic they were from, to come out and enjoy the beautiful Christmas festivities, and have a way of giving back to the St. Joseph’s Hospital Foundation, whether it be small or big, because at the end of the day, every penny counts,” Conly said.
A decision has yet to be made on whether they will continue to offer the same events at next year’s festival, but Conly hopes the fundraiser will continue to grow. As they offer more events, she believes the foundation also grows in terms of awareness.
“People are becoming more and more aware of what the foundation does, and how the foundation gives back to health-care in southeast Saskatchewan,” said Conly.
It will likely be a couple of weeks before they know how much money was raised for the purchase of capital equipment at the hospital. A decision hasn’t been made on where the funds from this year’s festival will be directed, but Conly said they do need new endoscopy equipment, and the hospital is looking to add a new women’s health clinic, which will cost money.
