For the third year, the organizers behind the “Spirit Tree” are hoping to help out families across Grande Prairie this holiday season.
To help those families, and raise more than last year’s total of $70,000, sponsorship of the tree is available for local businesses, and handmade ornaments can be purchased with all proceeds going to help those who could use an extra hand this holiday season.
“We deliver the presents to them, plus we deliver them a Christmas dinner,” says organizer Mike Edgar. “We typically do it during the day when kids are typically at school, so the parents get it, label them and give them to there kids.”
Edgar says since the start they hoped to help out at least a few families, but he wasn’t expecting the idea to catch on nearly as quickly as it did. He says last year they helped out over 50 families in the region.
“The first year we hoped to raise $10,000 and we raised $30,000, and the next year we hoped to better the $30,000 and ended up raising like $75,000.”
The tree is located outside Mr. Mikes Steakhouse off the 108 Street bypass in Grande Prairie, and donations will be accepted throughout the month of December.