The holiday season has arrived at our doorsteps. Making time to cook comfort food and gathering around the table with your loved ones is a gift. Another great gift is simply giving back to the community.
For the 36th year, the McLaren Port Huron Foundation invites the community to step up and help raise money for McLaren Port Huron Hospital with the annual
Festival of Trees.
This year, the event brings back the elegant
Festival of Trees Gala on Friday, Dec. 6 from 5 to 9 p.m. at the Blue Water Convention Center. Proceeds from the event go towards helping fund the state-of-the-art 3D Cone Beam CT Machine.
Last year’s event was a bit different from typical formats, with a more widespread footprint across the city. To encourage foot traffic and window shoppers to local businesses, some of the decorated trees were on display in downtown storefronts rather than all in the hospital. Last year’s event raised more than $50,000 for the hospital’s ION Robot, an advanced approach to detecting and treating lung cancer.
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Karynn Carrell, McLaren Port Huron Foundation Director of Philanthropy.
McLaren Port Huron Foundation Director of Philanthropy, Karynn Carrell, says the festival is one of the foundation's largest fundraising events, one which many folks look forward to each year. She’s happy to see the festival return to its traditional format, with an elevated black-tie gala as part of the event.
The annual event started back in 1989 to fundraise for the hospital and bring advanced technologies and updated, state-of-the-art equipment.
“This is the first year since 2020 that we will have fully decorated trees at the gala, which is a big deal for the community. It was one of their favorite parts of the event — to see the trees in person,” she says. “We will have 30 fully decorated trees that people can purchase $5 raffle tickets for a chance to win.”
After the gala, the 30 trees will be moved to the hospital for staff, patients, visitors and the community to enjoy. There are also 23 decorated trees throughout downtown Port Huron.
Funds raised through the Festival of Trees events will go towards purchasing a Cone Beam CT Machine, which will be used by pulmonary and orthopedic physicians in the hospital.
“With this advancement, it will give physicians the opportunity to have a 3D visual image in real time, which allows for a vast improvement of their field of vision and better outcomes for the procedures that they use it for,” Carrell says.
The Tree Hop
Although last year’s event was different, Carrell says the event organizers still received positive feedback from visitors who visited local businesses to seek out the uniquely themed trees. Because of the positive response, this year’s event also includes a Tree Hop on Saturday, Dec. 7 to coincide with other community events that kick off the holiday season.
“We’re asking folks to come downtown to view the trees, enjoy some holiday shopping, and partake in the festivities that are going on through with our community partners,” she says.
On Saturday, there is an entire lineup of family-friendly (and furry-friendly) events at the
Tree Hop in downtown Port Huron.
Families can enjoy a free breakfast with Santa from 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., hosted by the YMCA of the Blue Water Area. Reservations are required and can be made over the phone by calling 810-987-6400 or online by visiting:
tinyurl.com/YMCABWSantaBreakfast. From 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., the YMCA is also hosting the annual Jingle Bell Run. Registration is available
online.
12 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. is Poses with Santa Paws. Head over to the McMorran Plaza for Cocoa & Cocktails at Casey’s on the Plaza, along with photos with Santa for your furry friends hosted by the Blue Water Young Professionals and Four-Seasons Pet Resort & Training Center. Also during that time is the gift raffle at Sperry’s Arcade, where guests can purchase a $5 raffle ticket for a chance to win one of eight-holiday gift sets.
From noon to 3 p.m., families can enjoy a train ride at the YMCA, visit Santa, enjoy the hot cocoa station, and decorate ornaments.
Impact of Festival of Trees
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Festival of Trees.
Carrell is thankful to the team of community partners, volunteer decorators, and planning committee members who donate their time and talents to help make this event possible.
“We have a very active Festival of Trees Planning Committee of 10 individuals. Without them, there would not be any portion of this event happening on Friday or Saturday,” she says. “We have partnered with over a dozen community designers to decorate trees, and in many cases, local businesses donated the time and money to decorate trees in their business. There are also numerous hospital employees that donate their time to help ensure that the event itself runs smoothly, everything from our auxiliary volunteers running the coat check to others who are selling raffle tickets at the event. They also donate their time to decorate their department trees, which are the 30 that will be on display at the Gala and then in the hospital.”
Carrell says seeing the trees all lit up and decorated in the hospital lobby helps to transform the space.
“It changes the demeanor of the staff, patients, and visitors,” she says. “Having those decorated trees really elevates the atmosphere and the buzz in the hospital, creating a really great positive atmosphere throughout the holiday season. Add in the historic Train Display that Dr. Percy McDonald puts in the lobby each year and you have a wonderful holiday celebration right in the hospital.”
Elizabeth Armbruster is on the Festival of Trees Planning Committee for the first time this year but has attended the event prior.
“I remember in years past, the Festival of the Trees really reflected community,” she says. “That’s what I’m most excited about is to bring one singular event to kind of kick off Christmastime, and have a sense of community. That’s what’s most important to me.”
Armbruster says the gala makes for a great date night out, or a collective gathering with co-workers to support a good cause.
“The ticket price and what you get for it is really reasonable,” she says. “This event is really taking it up a notch, and it’s not something you do every weekend — so it’s really special and fun.”
Tickets are $125 for individuals and $200 a couple. Each ticket includes a signature cocktail or mocktail upon entry, two drink tickets, an appetizer, a buffet dinner, dessert, a DJ, and more.
Not only is the gala a good time, but the fancy fundraiser is also a feel-good event, says Armbruster.
“When you get to the core of it, looking for fundraising for our local hospital is really important,” she says. “When a hospital in a community is successful, has up-to-date equipment and can take care of its people, that’s really important. Not only is this a night out with your friends, but you're also doing a good deed, and making your local hospital and community successful.”
The decorated trees will be lit up starting on Wednesday, Nov. 27, and will remain up until Christmas. Raffle tickets to win a tree are $5 and go on sale starting on Friday, Nov. 29, and sales end on Friday, Dec. 20.
For more information, visit
mclaren.org/phfestival.