WEYBURN - The 25th anniversary edition of the Festival of Trees set a record for the highest amount raised for the Family Place, at the in-person auction of trees held on Wednesday evening at the Great Plains Ford auction building.
In the end, this year’s fundraiser brought in $93,027, which includes $65,100 from the tree auction of 27 decorated Christmas trees; $12,740 from the online silent auction, and $8,881 from the extra silent auction items on Wednesday night; $1,056 from a raffle; $525 from the 50/50 Santa’s List; $510 from the 50/50 gala night; and donations from Canadian Tire ($2,000), Whitecap Resources ($2,000, including $820 at the silent auction), a late donation $1,000 from Remax Realty, plus $35 in bar tips, with more donations still coming in as of Friday.
The auction night was a ticketed event with 240 people in attendance, and a cash bar was available run by volunteers from the Young Fellows Club.
“Our 25th Festival of Trees was an inspiring evening that we will remember forever and hold dear to our hearts. We never dreamt we'd see those numbers and we are feeling so blessed and grateful,” said Dawn Gutzke, executive director of the Family Place.
“A huge thank you from the bottom of our hearts, to all involved in making this extra special for us. The support and belief in the work we do inspires us to continue to work hard to serve our community and families,” she added.
In her remarks to open the gala evening, she noted how it has been an effort by the community-at-large to support it that has helped the Family Place keep operating over the years.
“For 25 incredible years the Festival of Trees has been a shining example of what a community can achieve when it comes together with purpose, passion and heart. This event has become more than just a fundraiser, it’s a true testament to the dedication, commitment and generosity of our community and our large surrounding area,” said Gutzke.
She spoke of her first time at the Festival, and how she felt so overwhelmed by the end of the night with the support by individuals and businesses in Weyburn and area.
“Fast forward 15 years, as I stand here, the only overwhelming feeling I have is of comfort, joy and happiness. The familiar faces we see each and every year, and some of you have been here 25 years yourselves … and to all the new faces that are joining us this evening, your presence in this building is illuminating,” said Gutzke.
In the auction of the trees, which were sold by Winston Bailey and emcee Glenn Rogers, four of the 27 trees were sold as silent auction items, and six of the trees bought were donated back to be auctioned off a second time.
The tree earning the highest price of the night was donated by Collabartive Studios, and was bought by MNP for $6,000.
The second-highest bid of the night, from Southern Glass Works, was also voted on as the favourite tree by those viewed all of the trees. This tree went for $5,600, bought by Weyburn Dodge.
