Christmas season events may look different this year but a renewed partnership is helping two local organizations adapt.
Each Christmas season for the past seven years, the Campbell River Museum’s Festival of Trees has added sparkle and beauty to the festive season.
This year, the Campbell River Grandmothers to Grandmothers (G2G) will be adding a global perspective to the display of decorated trees.
Museum director, Sandra Parrish says “Staff wanted to do something that would feel good – warm, fuzzy and familiar! Since we’d partnered with the Grandmothers a few times in the past, it felt like a good fit.”
Beyond just offering space for the Grandmothers to display a tree, the Museum has also offered to handle the selling of that tree’s hand-crafted ornaments.
The Grandmothers’ project coordinator Robin Geary is delighted.
“With COVID, our members have missed the opportunity to work together. Our usual Spring and Fall fundraisers have not happened, so this project has revived the wonderful creativity of our members,” she said.
Working in small groups, masked and safely-spaced local Grandmothers have crafted beautiful and varied tree ornaments, ranging from traditional sparkly bells and balls, to unique felted-wool angels, tiny elf-style Santas, and colourfully-garbed African style dolls.
The proceeds from the sale of the ornaments will be donated to the Stephen Lewis Foundation that supports community-based organizations, often run by grandmothers, who are caring for their grandchildren and others orphaned by the HIV and AIDS pandemic, in sub-Saharan Africa.
The free family-friendly Festival of Trees opens on Nov. 21, a bit earlier this year. Museum director Parrish says the extended schedule will give more opportunity to allow visitors to enjoy this Covid-safe exhibit. The Festival of Trees runs from Nov. 21 to Jan. 3, most Tuesdays through Sundays, from noon to 5 p.m.
Read more about Campbell River Grandmothers to Grandmothers on Facebook.
For more information about the Grandmothers Campaign of the Stephen Lewis Foundation go to www.stephenlewisfoundation.org.