Who wouldn’t like to take some of the stress out of holiday decorating by purchasing a fully decorated Christmas tree?
Instead of a tree, how about a beautiful wreath? Or baskets filled with things to make you feel merry and bright?
It is possible to have it all by supporting the "2021 Festival of Trees and All Things Christmas" fundraiser.
The event kicked off Friday at Northgate Shopping Centre with a ribbon cutting ceremony at the live display near the food court.
Proceeds from the online auction will be shared between the North Bay Regional Health Centre Foundation and PADDLE (Providing Adults with Developmental Disabilities Lifelong Experiences).
The auction items are available to view.
Foundation President and CEO Tammy Morison called it a “hybrid festival.”
“We’re hoping that having something is person where people can come in and see the auction items inspires people to participate in the auction and to actually come in and get that Christmas feeling and know that they’re also supporting two incredibly worthy charities,” Morison said.
Organizers hope to raise $15,000 with the Foundation share earmarked for the MRI Upgrade Project at NBRHC.
“It is a $1.67 million project that basically refurbished our entire MRI except the big magnet and we’re basically getting a brand new MRI at a fraction of the cost to serve our community. It is going to be faster, better, safer and allow for more scans per year,” Morison explained.
Partnering with the P.A.D.D.L.E. program, (People Living with Developmental Disabilities Lifelong Experiences), it will share in the festival proceeds.
Executive Director Megan Johnson says it has been a long road for PADDLE as it has been for many charitable organizations who serve the vulnerable, especially those not funded by the government.
”We are still here and still offering services and that is as the result of our generous community. PADDLE really is a community program,” shared Johnson.
The organization currently has a list of 30 registered clients with a waiting list of 15 others. The clients are aged 21 and up and are involved in all sorts of activities including “learning life skills, recreation, volunteer work, whatever type of wellness they’re looking for. Cooking, laundry all that kind of stuff and then of course the fun things like dances, meeting people and having friends, doing all the things that everybody else does and we take for granted, going shopping, going to the mall, eating out.”
Johnson says its share of the money raised will likely go towards operating costs.
“Which are the costs we have the hardest time fundraising for. So things like rent and heat and food.”
The festival goal is to raise $15,000 when all is said and done.
Not only are the trees available to bid on, but wreaths, lanterns, gift baskets, even an Adirondack chair.
”So many great ornaments on all of the décor. So there is something for everyone. There is even a pair of men’s shoes,” Morison noted.
Bidding can be done from the comfort of your own home.
“You can watch your bid and you will see that when you sign up on the online auction, they will actually notify you when you are out-bid. So you can go in and bid again,” explained Morison.
“Certainly while you are here you can bid using your mobile device. There are a couple of raffles as well, so you can come in and buy raffle tickets.”
COVID may have reduced the festival size, but organizers are hoping it hasn’t scaled back on people’s generosity.
“We did have an online auction solely last year and wanted to just have that opportunity to see the items in person I think makes all the difference,” said Morison.
“And being somewhere that is public and safe and wide open and conforming to all the protocols is really important as well. And being in our shopping mall I think people are in the Christmas spirit when they are here doing all their Christmas shopping, they can swing by and see the “Festival of Trees and All Things Christmas.”
The festival is open to the public starting Friday, November 19 until closing day Friday, November 26 at 4:00 p.m.
Bidding opens each day starting at 11:00 a.m.
Auction bids are placed online at https://www.32auctions.com/festivaloftrees2021.
