The stage and the date is set, all that is needed now are the activities.
The third annual Festival of Trees, organized by the St. Joseph’s Hospital Foundation, with Enbridge as the lead sponsor, has been set for Nov. 21 and 22 at Affinity Place.
The two-day fundraising event will include interactive activities as well as an arena full of Christmas spirit, and angelic ambiance, said Becky Conly, executive director for the Foundation.
The Canadian award winning country and western band Doc Walker will headline the Saturday night dinner and social.
The action begins with the fundraising dinner on the Saturday and it will include Christmas carols as the guests arrive followed by a turkey dinner and a silent and live auction of the decorated trees that are donated for the event. There will be a variety of other items up for grabs too as part of the auction action.
The headliner band then takes to the stage. Doc Walker is one of the most recognized Canadian country acts of the past two decades. They have received multiple Canadian Country Music Awards, including the Fans’ Choice Award, Group or Duo of the Year and CMT Video of the Year, as well as single and country music program of the year awards. They have also been nominated for several JUNO Awards for Country Album of the Year, including a win in 2009 for their Beautiful Life album.
This will be a second visit to the Energy City by this energetic and talented C&W band, who said they are looking forward to putting on an intimate acoustic Christmas concert for the guests with a combination of entertaining hits and their version of several classic Christmas carols.
Conley noted the event brought in a profit of over $90,000 for the Foundation last year, which she noted, “allowed us to continue on with our goal of ensuring the hospital is financially sound when in need of new services and equipment.”
The table sales, to seat eight guests, have already begun.
The second part to the event is the exciting Santa’s Breakfast with the Bruins that takes place on Sunday, Nov. 22, also at Affinity Place.
This family day event will be the community’s opportunity to view the beautifully decorated trees and to gain the ambiance of a peaceful Christmas. The event will include a free pancake breakfast, scavenger hunt, a sleigh full of gifts, interactive crafts, photos with Santa and the Estevan Bruins, with the players volunteering to participate in all capacities including an autograph signing session. The children from southeast Saskatchewan will receive a free ticket to the event through their schools and will have a chance to participate in all the fun from 9:30 to 11:30 on Sunday morning Nov. 22.
“This event was a huge success in the previous year. Our main goal is to creat exposure for the Foundation, promoting its causes,” said Conly. “Our secondary goal is to raise funds. The Hospital Foundation exists to fund the capital purchases the hospital needs on a daily basis, as well as the major requirements necessary to bring new services to our community. For virtually all capital purchases at St. Joseph’s, the Hospital Foundation is the sole source of funding for the hospital. This event is our largest fundraiser of the year and we look forward to putting on a well-produced and highly entertaining show for the third year in a row.”
The invitation is now being extended to the business community to utilize the event as their company Christmas function. Purchasing a table(s) will not only allow employees to enjoy an unprecedented evening of Christmas fellowship and entertainment, but they will also receive a charitable donation receipt for a portion of the table cost.
