On November 29 the United Way of Northern BC will kick off the United Way Tree of Lights campaign.
Once again, the tree that brings a beacon of hope and joy will unite residents of Prince George with #LocalLove. Considering the gaps that have emerged in this second year of the pandemic, the focus will predominantly be on raising funds to address the most urgent and pressing local community needs.
On this kick-off day, the tree will be lit at 4 p.m, to mark the beginning of the campaign and will be turned off at 4:30 p.m. to light it back up string-by-string as the donations come in. People in Prince George will also have an opportunity to drive by the United Way Office to donate … you don’t even have to get out of your vehicle. The first 50 people who drive by will receive a gift card from Mr. Mikes worth $10.
The United Way’s mission of improving lives by connecting resources to the local needs is the driving force behind this newly-visioned campaign. Its ongoing outreach to local agencies has made it evident how critical social service programming and services have been through the pandemic.
In an effort to bring together resources to address the rapidly growing needs in the local community the goal this year has been set to $50,000. This will support the vital social service programming and fill the gaps that the pandemic has created in the social service sector right here in Prince George.
One of the United Way’s longest standing partners, Canfor has come on board as the campaign’s title sponsor through its community giving program Good Things Come From Trees.
“The United Way Tree of Lights has long been a holiday tradition in Prince George,” said said Kevin Horsnell, Vice President Operations, Wood Products Canfor. “Canfor is pleased to support this campaign that continues to help the people in our community who are most in need. Watching the Tree of Lights be re-lit an d seeing residents, businesses and organizations come together to provide important resources to those in our community who are struggling during the holidays is uplifting and inspiring.”
“We are incredibly thrilled to be able to kick off the third year of the United Way Tree of Lights campaign on November 29 in Prince George,” said Trista Spencer, executive director, United Way of Northern BC. “Just to get to our kick-off we rely on the resources and expertise of Warmac Ventures, King Pine Contracting, Sterling Crane, and the Coast Prince George Hotel by APA. New to the campaign this year is our title sponsor, Canfor. We can’t think of a more exciting opportunity to align with a sponsor for our vision on this great community initiative.”
To make this event even more exciting, UWNBC has added some holiday flair to this campaign. In the spirit of giving, for 24 days (starting November 29 a unique prize from a local business will be unveiled daily, leading to a weekly draw every Monday of the campaign. A donation of
$25 and above will enter the donors into a draw to win these exciting #LocalLove packages. The more you donate, the larger the impact and the more chances you’ ll have to win.
And that’s not it! UWNBC will also be organizing several item drives each Friday before the campaign wraps up on December 22 to collect items that would address the issue of poverty, children’s literacy, and employment. These item drives will take place on December 3, December 10 and December 17.