Youth up to 17 years old will get into the 2024 Festival of Trees for free thanks to a $10,000 sponsorship from the City of Grande Prairie.
The choice to provide the festival with some extra cash was an easy one for council, after moving a portion of the city’s large-scale tourism funding into places that would serve local events better on a smaller scale.
Grande Prairie Mayor Jackie Clayton credits the event’s long-standing status as a major supporter of the Grande Prairie Regional Hospital Foundation for more than 30 years as another reason for her council’s sponsorship.
“I think council was really happy to do this event, especially this year because with the sponsorship we will be able to have youth attend for free,” she says. “Bringing youth to that event to experience not only the awe and wonder of Christmas and the beauty of that event but also to experience and learn more about what the hospital and the Hospital Foundation do, is a win-win for all.”
The Mayor mentions her council’s “attraction and retention” goal for local healthcare workers. She says healthcare-based fundraising events like the Festival of Trees serve as a message of support to physicians while providing fun entertainment options at the local level.
“Sometimes when you move here, especially in a job as busy as a healthcare profession is, you’re so head down in your work that you may not recognize all of the wonderful things going on around you,” she says. “We’re happy to support those events, [and] create awareness on events so that you not only love your job, but you love the community around you.”
The 2024 Festival of Trees is expected to be scheduled for November of this year, with proceeds going directly to the Grande Prairie Regional Hospital Foundation.
