SUNDRE – With barely a month to go before jolly ole St. Nick is expected to make his magical rounds, a couple of local organizations have lined up some activities to help the community get ready for the holiday season.
The Sundre and District Chamber of Commerce as well as the Sundre and District Museum have prepared their plans for this year’s Sundown in Sundre.
But in an effort to tease not only the annual event that takes place Friday, Dec. 6 but also its new app that was rolled out earlier this year, the chamber introduced a digital twist.
“The chamber really wanted to encourage activities around the purpose of Sundown: supporting local retail businesses and reminding people to shop locally this year,” said president Sarah Kennedy.
“Our treasure hunt running through our Discover Sundre app will have participating businesses featured with clues left at their location,” said Kennedy.
“The hunt will be running for a full week leading up to Sundown and offer prizes of local gift cards for the winners,” she said. “There will also be a mini hunt for our little shoppers with some cool prizes.”
While enticing residents to spend locally when looking to find presents for family and friends is of course a major component of Sundown in Sundre, it’s certainly not exclusively about buying gifts but also raising funds for the community.
Also adding a twist to a long-running part of the annual holiday shop local event, the chamber slightly changed up the Festival of Wreaths fundraiser’s format to offer donors an opportunity to advertise their wreaths both at their locations as well as social media prior to them bringing the decorative door ornaments all over to the museum for final bidding, she said.
“This will not only advertise the businesses supporting the event but also hopefully increase the amount we are able to donate to the Nutrition for Learning Society,” she said.
Throughout the year, local businesses regularly contribute to a variety of fundraising efforts conducted by many service groups, and this is an opportunity for the community to pay it forward.
“Sundown is a chance for our community to get out and support the retail locations that are the first to support our kids sports, fundraisers and other charities in town.”
Meanwhile, the museum will also be helping people celebrate the season’s spirit with a photographer taking pictures with Santa on Dec. 6 from 4-8 p.m. as well as Dec. 7 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. with all of the proceeds supporting the Sundre and District Historical Society, said Carrie Couch, executive director.
“We also have some wonderful bakers who are providing some early Christmas baking,” said Couch, adding the prepackaged treats for the Cookie Walk whose proceeds will also support the historical society are only available while the limited supply lasts with the sale getting started at 4 p.m. on Dec. 6.
“We are excited to host the community in our museum gallery and look forward to the festivities,” she said, encouraging everyone to drop by to place a bid on their favourite wreath.
And over at the Myron Thompson Health Centre, members of the Sundre Palliative Care Association will be observing the annual Tree of Hope lighting ceremony at 5 p.m. on Dec. 6.
Earlier in November, a power line technician with FortisAlberta removed the set of aging lights from the old tree and mounted up some brand new ones on a new tree in the same area as before immediately adjacent the hospital.
Blue bulbs are lit in memory of loved ones lost while red bulbs shine as greeting of hope to family and friends. Donation forms can be picked up at participating local businesses and submitted to the Myron Thompson Health Centre’s admissions desk no later than Nov. 30, and proceeds all go toward helping to provide quality and compassionate end-of-life care in the community.
