Pupils decorate Angel Tree with handmade Christmas ornaments

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — The Angel Tree at the Fort St. John Hospital Foundation received handmade ornaments from the grade two students from a local school. 

About 40 students from Anne Roberts Young Elementary headed to the foundation to hang colourful yarn toques on the Angel Tree on December 15th.

The ‘Be an Angel’ campaign is aimed at supporting local healthcare through fundraising for much-needed medical equipment. 

The Angel Tree serves as backdrop for all the cards people who donated to the ‘Be an Angel’ campaign send, which are displayed on the tree in honour or memory of loved ones. 

Emily Olson, community giving and event coordinator for the foundation, said: “The Angel Tree is a long-standing tradition for the Fort St. John Hospital Foundation.” 

Olson added: “The main purpose behind this initiative is introducing kids at a young age to giving back and showing that generosity comes in many forms.  

“The Angel Tree is already a symbol of giving within our community, it displays the ornaments made in memory and in honour of loved ones during the Be an Angel campaign. 

“Having these students make ornaments to place on the tree shows that even small acts can brighten someone’s day.”

Although the tree gets a lot of attention at the hospital, “even just looking at it undecorated, it’s large and it’s quite beautiful, and having these very colourful ornaments draws a lot more attention, and it’s great as a background for some of the gifts that we have,” Olson said. 

Olson shared how there is a ‘sprinkling’ of Christmas around the hospital. She added: “The tree is kind of the centrepiece. 

“I do know a lot of the departments at the hospital have decorated. 

“So if you come into even medical imaging, you’ll see there is a blown-up Santa.” 

An initiative like this is important to bring Christmas cheer to a lot of the patients at the hospital.

She said: “There are many patients that are in the inpatient unit or at Peace Villa, and they don’t make it home for Christmas. 

“So having a tree set up, or any small piece of tradition and warmth, it really lifts their spirits.”