Festival of Trees 2025
FORT McMURRAY — The Northern Lights Health Foundation says this year’s Festival of Trees raised $870,000 to support healthcare projects across the Wood Buffalo region.
More than 10,000 people attended the 36th annual event, presented by Suncor, which featured four signature events and dozens of festival activities. Organizers say 300 volunteers filled 350 shifts, with youth making up about 30 per cent of the volunteer team.
This year’s festival coincided with the foundation’s 40th anniversary, a milestone board chair Stephane Gagnon said highlighted the community’s resilience and long-standing support for local healthcare.
Chief executive Vanessa MacNevin said the weekend was filled with connection, joy and extraordinary giving, and credited donors, volunteers and families for making the event a success.
One of the major announcements came during the gala with the unveiling of the foundation’s tree titled “Something Legendary,” introducing a new fundraiser called Night with Hockey Legends, scheduled for April 10, 2026, and presented by Bouchier. The momentum continued when Suncor bought the tree for $100,000.
Another high-selling item was the SMS Equipment “Comfort and Care Tree,” dedicated to supporting cancer care in Fort McMurray. Combined donations from APE Maintenance, the Giles Family Foundation and AlumaSafway raised $180,000. The funds will support 100 care baskets for cancer patients over the holidays and strengthen services at the local cancer clinic.
In total, 23 signature trees were auctioned during the gala, with three more sold during Friday’s Ugly Sweater Christmas Party. Dozens of community-decorated trees were also featured in the silent auction.
The weekend lineup included Santa’s Village, the Teddy Bear Hospital run in partnership with Keyano College’s nursing program, community concerts featuring local performers and the Daddy Daughter Sugar Plum Fairy Ball. Sunday’s family programming also included the Super Mom Hero Son Ball with performances, character appearances and kids’ activities.
The foundation also thanked corporate sponsors including CNRL for Winter Wonderland programming and the many partners who supported events throughout the weekend.
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