The St. Joseph’s Hospital Foundation’s fourth annual Festival of Trees, from Nov. 18 to 20 at Affinity Place, will feature activities that will appeal to people of all ages.
The opening event will be Oh Come All Ye’ Seniors, a seniors’ tea that will start at 1 p.m. on Nov. 18. Highlights will include crafts, games, entertainment, food, socializing and an opportunity to view all the brightly decorated Christmas trees on display.
Then there will be a father-daughter gala, Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies, starting at 5:30 p.m. There will be a dinner, a dance and games at this celebration of the bond between fathers and their daughters.
The annual fundraising gala will be Nov. 19, starting at 7 p.m. This year’s theme will be Christmas Movie Magic. The event will include games, interactive activities, auctions and, of course, the trees.
As guests arrive at the event, they will have over two hours to eat, visit and take part in the interactive games that will be spread throughout the building.
Each game will be related to a classic Christmas movie such as Miracle on 34th Street, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, Home Alone and A Christmas Carol. Elf, Scrooge, Santa Claus and the Ghost from Christmas Future will all be present.
In addition to the games, auction and fun, there will be entertainment by Rory Allen, a Saskatchewan-based Elvis Presley tribute artist. Allen has performed internationally on stage, radio and television, and he will be bringing a full 11-piece band. He will draw from a vast repertoire of Presley hit songs and Christmas classics.
Over the past three years, the banquet has raised $180,000 for the St. Joseph’s Hospital Foundation, allowing the hospital to provide services and purchase much-needed capital equipment.
“This event was a huge success in the previous years,” said hospital foundation executive director Becky Conly. “Our main goal for this event is to create exposure for the hospital foundation, promoting its causes.
“Our secondary goal of this event is to raise funds. The hospital foundation exists to fund the capital purchases that 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, the St. Joseph’s 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 hospital foundation is encouraging local businesses to use the gala as their Christmas party, as it allows employees to have a fun evening. Businesses receive a charitable donation receipt for a portion of their table purchase.
The weekend will conclude with Santa’s Breakfast with the Bruins at 9:30 a.m. on Nov. 20. Families can enjoy breakfast together, interact with members of the Power Dodge Estevan Bruins, and participate in crafts and activities. Children can provide their Christmas wish lists to Santa Claus.
For more information about this event, to sponsor a decorated tree or to book a table for the dinner, contact the St. Joseph’s Hospital Foundation’s Office at 306-634-2474.
