The annual Festival of Trees auction and dinner by the Moose Jaw Health Foundation (MJHF) is back in-person at the Moose Jaw Events Centre to raise money for equipment at the Dr. F.H. Wigmore Regional Hospital.
Tickets for the Festival of Trees — on Saturday, Nov. 26 — are on sale now at sasktix.evenue.net. Tickets are also available for the Festival of Trees Family Brunch on Sunday, Nov. 27, hosted by the Hospital Auxiliary.
“Everyone is very happy to be able to return to live events,” said Kelly McElree, executive director of the MJHF. “And no one is more happy than the volunteer Festival of Trees committee, led by Holly Jorstad.”
McElree said the committee has been meeting for months to plan this year’s Festival of Trees and make it a special occasion.
“The whole theme is Making Spirits Bright and Celebrating Together Again… and, of course, we’re raising funds for the Dr. F.H. Wigmore Regional Hospital. Funds this year will support surgery and laboratory services, which thousands and thousands of people depend on.
"We’re looking to raise as much money as we can. The more money we raise, the more equipment we can buy.”
Top Chef Canada Dale MacKay is returning to the Festival of Trees. He and his team will work alongside the Moose Jaw Events Centre staff to cook a menu McElree said would delight everyone.
The grand auction at the Festival of Trees will feature everything from the work of local artists, to vacations, to experiences, and some one-of-a-kind items only found in Moose Jaw.
Following the auction and returning by popular demand, top Saskatchewan entertainment band Rock Candy will take the stage and get everybody dancing.
Jorstad has been the chair of the Festival of Trees committee for five years, now. She was pleased with how well the festival adapted to having to go virtual — but, like everyone else, she’s thrilled to get back to a live event.
“People are ready to get out and go live again, and we’re hoping that’s a big draw,” Jorstad said. “We have Top Chef Canada Dale MacKay coming and Rock Candy’s going to be playing.
“The board works very hard to create the vision for the Festival of Trees … Then we reach out to our volunteers to help pull all our ideas together and to make it a fun evening, and a ‘wow’ evening.”
Jorstad said that anyone wanting to create a tree for the auction should reach out as soon as possible to help the committee assemble their catalogue.
“We need to know that as soon as possible, it really helps us put things together.”
Sponsorship opportunities are available by phoning the MJHF office at 306-694-0373 and/or downloading the sponsorship package from their website at www.mjhf.org.
