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December 5 - 9, 2023 Registration forms for tree entrants will be available by September. Give us a call to get your name on the list and receive a Registration Form. The early-bird registration fee is $20; after November 17th, it will be $25.  The Festival of Trees and Dramatic Reading event has been hosted by All Saints Anglican Church in support of the Mission Community Services Society and the Mission Christmas Bureau since 2013. Over the years, "In-Kind" support has been generously provided by “What's On! Mission” magazine, the Mission Record, Nutek Sign Creations, Sue's Copy Place, Apex Engravers, Talaan Creations, Mission City Pizza Ltd., LINC, Save-On Foods, and All Saints. Additionally, the event has received support from volunteers who have dedicated their time and talents, including entertainers, Organizing Committee members, Dramatic Reading participants, Children's Program helpers, and all those who have contributed decorated trees to the event throughout the years. The Organizing Committee and Volunteers for this week-long event comprise a diverse group of community members, businesses, organizations, and All Saints members. Preparations for this event begin early in the year due to the significant amount of work involved. Trees are decorated in a variety of themes, and visitors have the opportunity to vote for their favourite trees while enjoying refreshments and entertainment throughout the Festival. Visitors can also enjoy the children's afternoon activities as a family, including visiting Santa's Grotto and taking a photograph with Santa. On the final evening, attendees can enjoy a dramatic reading and celebrate the week's accomplishments, including awards for the decorated trees. Monies raised, non-perishable food items, and collected gifts are all donated to the Mission Christmas Bureau (and Food Centre), along with the decorated trees that are distributed to families and seniors in the community of Mission. The Festival of Trees and Dramatic Reading events have been held from 2013 to 2019, and have provided 175 decorated Christmas Trees to those in need, in Mission, decorated by businesses, organizations, groups, families, and individuals in our community, and have raised in excess of $15,500.00, plus gifts and many non-perishable food items for the Mission Christmas Bureau and Food Centre. 2019 was our biggest year ever with 34 decorated trees being given to families and seniors. Additionally, a number of small trees and 204 handmade Christmas cards were given to the residents of TRIM. Santa had over 90 visits to his Grotto for photographs with him. We were fortunate to have 40 volunteers from diverse segments of the community assisting at the event. Wonderful entertainment was provided all the afternoons and evenings during the Festival. The Dramatic Reading of Dylan Thomas’ 'A Child's Christmas in Wales' was a fantastic conclusion to the final night. It served to announce the totals raised and the awards for the decorated trees. These awards included the People's Choice Award, along with other favorites in each theme, as voted on by the event's visitors. From 2013 to 2017, the classic Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” was presented as the Dramatic Reading, and Henry Van Dyke's “The Other Wise Man” in 2018. In 2020, volunteers from the Festival of Trees arranged a 'Drive-By' event for folks to drop off gifts, non-perishable food items, and cash donations for the Mission Christmas Bureau. Preparations are well underway for 2023, and we are excited about the community's involvement. We look forward to welcoming everyone back after the long absence of the event, which will include the following:
Anyone wishing to be involved in any way in this year's event, please get in touch with Joy or Margaret at [email protected] or 604-826-4089.
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