UNITED WAY TREE OF LIGHTS CAMPAIGN TO KICK OFF ON NOVEMBER 29TH
Local people will once again come together to make a local impact by showing their #LocalLove.
On November 29th, United Way of Northern BC (UWNBC) 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 pm to mark the beginning of the campaign and will be turned off at 4:30 pm to light it back 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!
Our mission of improving lives by connecting resources to the local needs is the driving force behind this newly visioned campaign. Our ongoing outreach to local agencies has made it evident how critical social service programming and services have been through the pandemic. We continue to see that an extraordinary amount of help is needed to ensure these agencies keep up with the demand that has increased significantly and shows no sign of changing.
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 their community giving program Good Things Come From Trees. We are so grateful for this partnership with Canfor, who have supported the United Way for more than 30 years, and are helping us bring holiday joy and raise funds to support the community!
“The United Way Tree of Lights has long been a holiday tradition in Prince George. 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 and 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,” said Kevin Horsnell, Vice President Operations, Wood Products, Canfor.
“We are incredibly thrilled to be able to kick off the third year of the United Way Tree of Lights campaign on November 29th in Prince George! 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.,” said Trista Spencer, Executive Director, United Way of Northern BC.
This tree is about much more than a tree, it’s about the greater community. It’s about coming together to help our families, friends, and neighbours. This tree is truly a symbol of hope, a beacon for us to come together at this magical time of the year. We look forward to sharing all the wonderful things we have planned with Prince George and we know that as they have every year, the community will help us achieve our goal to help those that need it most,” explained Trista .
Weekly Tree of Lights Draw
To make this event even more exciting, UWNBC has added some holiday flare to this campaign! In the spirit of giving, for 24 days (starting November 29th), 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.
Join our Item Drive Every Friday
And that’s not it! UWNBC will also be organizing several item drives each Friday before the campaign wraps up on December 22nd, to collect items that would address the issue of Poverty, Children’s Literacy, and Employment. These item drives will take place on December 3rd, December 10th, and December 17th, between 9 am – 7 am, and the details on the kind of items we will be collecting can be found here.
To find out more information, become a sponsor, or donate to this initiative, please get in touch with us at info@unitedwaynbc.ca or 250-561-1040. Follow the event on Facebook and Instagram @unitedwaynbc and check out this campaign by visiting UWTOL.CA
About United Way of Northern BC
United Way of Northern BC aims to improve communities in Northern BC through connecting resources to local needs. UWNBC positively affects 1 in 3 people through their impact work in the region; empowering other non-profit agencies, engaging with community partners at multiple levels, advocating the unique needs of the Northern BC region, engaging in United Way driven programming (i.e. Day of Caring, Period Promise), and providing funding to other non-profits through several different opportunities. As a connector, UWNBC builds partnerships with key organizations and individuals to provide the means to non-profit social service agencies to continue or develop critical programming or services to break down barriers, improve lives, and create opportunities for the people who need help the most.
