INNISFAIL – The Innisfail Festival of Trees was already a stunning success during its inaugural run but when Joy’s School of Dance took to the floor to perform Narnia to wrap up the three-week event it was a powerful exclamation mark for excellence and community resilience.
It was the first live performance by the local dance club in two years, and the 20 dancers from the ages of four to 17 left everyone attending the Innisfail Library/Learning Centre on Dec. 12 in awe of the artistic talent in the community, as well as the inspiration shown by the festival committee to end the event with a dazzling show by the young.
“For kids it is a long wait for them. Two years in a child’s life is a long time,” said Joy McIlwain, the owner and operator of Joy’s School of Dance, who appeared to be left without words to describe how she felt about performing at the inaugural Innisfail Festival of Trees.
“We’re very blessed. That sums it up. We are just so honoured to be part of something that the community can do, just to support each other,” she said.
Local businessman Dale Dunham, who created Innisfail’s first-ever Festival of Trees, said support from Joy’s School of Dance also showed throughout the event when young dancers regularly came in costumes dressed as Disney princesses and other mythical figures, and interacted with local families who came to experience homemade holiday season magic.
The festival’s wrap-up event on Dec. 12 followed three weeks of the very best of what Innisfailians could do to make this year’s holiday season memorable, for both the underprivileged and those who just wanted to contribute something new and special for the community.
“From start to finish, and considering that we planned this in such short amount of time, the amount of community involvement, the amount of people that donated and sponsored, it was beyond our expectations,” said Brandi Laughlin, the chair of the festival’s organizing committee. “We are so incredibly grateful with how everything turned out. I think it was beautiful. The feedback has been nothing but positive; people dedicating their time to come and volunteer, and today finalizing it and just seeing people coming and wanting to be a part of it.
“I think it is amazing and can’t wait for next year. It is going to be bigger and better,” added Laughlin.
It was just over two months ago when Dunham was playing around with a fundraising idea for January. However, there was the troublesome COVID restrictions to navigate, notably on indoor gatherings.
But he reached back to his days in Victoria, B.C. and remembered that city’s successful Festival of Lights. For him, it was an idea that could work in Innisfail as well, especially during these uncertain COVID-era times.
A committee was organized, and included Laughlin, Crystal Kemp, Bill and Norma Hoppins and Riki Findley.
Partnerships were also established, and again the community rallied. They included the Town of Innisfail, Christmas Bureau, Innisfail Public Library, Innisfail & District Chamber of Commerce, Rotary Club of Innisfail, McMan Youth, Family and Community Services Association, Central Alberta Co-op, Innisfail and District Food Bank, Salvation Army, Jessica Anne Photography and DQ Angel Tree.
They all worked together with a mission to raise funds and awareness for their new initiative, the Santa’s Wish List, and to help fund and increase awareness of other local charities that focus on families, children and seniors.
They began with a plan to have 15 sponsored trees from interested businesses, organizations, families and individuals that would be the centrepiece of their initiative. Each tree was destined for a silent auction to raise money. The trees would then be judged – best sponsored, most creative and the one showing the most holiday spirit.
The idea was so popular the committee wound up with 24 trees that shined brilliantly for three weeks in the common area of the Innisfail Library/Learning Centre.
The committee also raised funds through gift basket raffles and Friends of the Festival of Trees -- citizens who simply wanted to make a donation in support of the event.
“We had 31 gift baskets and about 40 different individuals, businesses or organizations that donated either singular gift baskets or items that became a part of other gift baskets,” said Dunham.
He said this week the inaugural Innisfail Festival of Trees raised more than $15,000, monies that will have a profound positive impact on the lives of underprivileged children and families in the community.
“We’re going to be able to put it into a lot of different organizations pockets to help them and others,” said Dunham.
He said about $1,000 of that total went to Santa’s Wish List, an initiative that so far will give 10 local children a memorable Christmas.
There was also about $2,500 for the sponsoring of seven local families through McMan and Innisfail FCSS. They all received Christmas presents and gift cards for groceries and other necessities. Dunham said funds also went to support holiday stocking programs for seniors at both Autumn Grove and the Rosefield Centre.
As well, there will be donations made to the local food bank, Christmas Bureau, DQ Angel Tree and Red Deer Salvation Army.
As for the favourite trees at the festival: with a total of 235 votes cast, Innisfail Dairy Queen claimed Best Sponsored Tree; Innisfail Kinettes was chosen as the best Holiday Spirit entry and the Innisfail Arts Club’s tree was selected as Most Creative.
There will be second annual Innisfail Festival of Trees, declared Dunham.
He said organizers are in the process of becoming a legally recognized non-profit society, one that will have a board.
Mostly though, each committee member, along with many, many other citizens, are driven to keep the momentum moving proudly forward by utilizing every skill and talent available in the community.
“It was all wonderful and I was so glad to see Joy’s School of Dance performing again. They are such a talented group of young women,” said mayor Jean Barclay, who gave a closing address for the festival wrap up on Dec. 12. “The last few weeks have been fantastic for Innisfail by all the events going on. I see a lot of enthusiasm in the community, and a lot of happiness, and we will just carry that right through Christmas and into the new year.”
