Christmas magic in central Alberta starts when Westerner Park transforms into a winter wonderland during the annual Festival of Trees.
The 2019 festival tickets are on sale now. Popular events like the Candy Cane Lane, Festival of Wines, Mistletoe Magic and Breakfast with Santa are back. New to this year’s lineup is Festival Family Bingo.
This year, the event, which runs from Nov. 21 to 24, will entertain more than 20,000 guests, thanks to the efforts of more than 2,000 volunteers.
Each year, proceeds from the festival are used to purchase medical equipment for the Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre.
To date, more than $16 million has been raised by the festival.
The money raised this year will be used to support the purchase of medical scopes and two sophisticated scope washers for use in the endoscopy and outpatient departments.
Thirty-five scopes are nearing their end of life or are damaged and are no longer repairable. Each year, more than 9,400 procedures involving scopes are conducted at the hospital.
Last year, about $1.1 million was raised from the event and put toward pyxis medstations at the hospital.
The preview dinner on Nov. 21 will feature entertainment as sponsors and donors come together in the spirit of giving at Prairie Pavilion.
The ever-popular Festival of Wines is scheduled for Nov. 22 from 8 to 11 p.m. The evening lets ticket holders ($100 per person) enjoy wine tasting and hors d’oeuvres.
The Festival Family Bingo is Nov. 23 from 9 a.m. to noon. The event will bring families together, from young children to older folks.
Mistletoe Magic - A Father and Daughter Evening is Nov. 23 from 6 to 11 p.m., followed by Breakfast with Santa on Nov. 24 from 9 a.m. to noon.
The Red Deer Regional Health Foundation says scope replacement is critical at the hospital. Scopes save patients from having major invasive surgery for the purpose of diagnosis, which shortens treatment and wait times.
Scopes also allow physicians to view patients internally and obtain small samples of tissue to identify abnormalities requiring treatment.
Visit www.reddeerfestivaloftrees.ca/tickets to buy tickets.
mamta.lulla@reddeeradvocate.com
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