The 15th anniversary Tree of Lights campaign is now officially underway! Between now and December 8, the Tree will grow brighter and brighter as your generosity pours in. The CHU Sainte-Justine Foundation and its partners, Rythme and METRO, invite you to set it ablaze with hope for the children, families and teams of caregivers who will be spending the holidays in the hospital this year.
Starting today and continuing until December 8, your donations will be the driving force that makes the Sainte-Justine Tree of Lights illuminate the night sky throughout the holidays and into January. The goal of this 15th anniversary edition is to make 450,000 bulbs on the Tree shimmer. Not only will your generosity help deliver a message of love and community, but it will also serve as a concrete source of support for Sainte-Justine and its Social Services Department, whose mandate is to help families with a sick child who are struggling financially and emotionally.
The warmth of your lights will radiate far beyond the hospital walls to make thousands of families’ hearts glow across the province, from the Outaouais to Nunavik, from Abitibi-Témiscamingue to the Côte-Nord, and everywhere in between. Every day, there are victories and there are setbacks: either way, the Tree of Lights is there to bring the magic of the season and hope for a better tomorrow.
Several well-known personalities will be lending their support to the Sainte-Justine Tree of Lights. Guy A Lepage, long-time CHU Sainte-Justine Foundation ambassador, will be joined by MarieEve Janvier and Katherine Levac in expressing their heartfelt gratitude for the impact Sainte-Justine has had on their lives and in inviting the general public to embrace this campaign.
Since November 1, students from private schools belonging to the FEEP (Fédération des établissements d'enseignement privés) have been working hard to raise funds for the Sainte-Justine Youth Tree of Lights campaign, now in its second year. As a result of their efforts, more than 140,000 bulbs are already sparkling on the Tree. Inspired by the touching stories of ambassadors Jude-Alexandre, Léa-Maude, Thomas and Aïssatou, next-generation philanthropists across Quebec have once again shown how powerful and community-minded they are. It is now up to the rest of the province to follow their example and light the Tree to the very top!
Young patients like Rosalie feel the warm glow of your lights
The love you have in your heart for the families of Sainte-Justine —families like Rosalie’s — is what fuels the passion, expertise and determination of our teams of caregivers.
On June 11, 2021, the results of a blood test brought life to a crashing halt for Rosalie’s family. That’s when she was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia — the type with a very high risk of relapse. She was all of two years old.
After six intensive chemotherapy treatments and long stays in the hospital, a glimmer of hope emerged. Thanks to her own fortitude, the donor-funded research that made it possible to personalize her treatments and her extended family at Sainte-Justine, Rosalie is now in remission. Her story shines as an inspiration to all the children who will be spending the holidays at Sainte-Justine this year.
The Tree of Lights was a source of much-needed reassurance while Rosalie was undergoing treatment last winter. It will continue to keep hope alive in our hearts this year: the hope that she will stay in remission for another four years, so we’ll be able to celebrate the fact that she’s cured. By helping to support the healthcare teams at Sainte-Justine, you are lighting the way for young patients like Rosalie. It’s an honour for us to turn the spotlight on the institution that saved her life.
Krystel and
Sparking hope for our teams, too
Not only does the Tree of Lights make life brighter for children and their families, but it also sends a heartwarming message of support to all those who work at Sainte-Justine as they enter and leave the hospital. It gives everyone, from our administrative personnel to our front-line healthcare workers, a much-needed boost of strength and energy.
I look after children with locomotor and speech impairments. I make sure they each have a specialized program of care in place to meet their individual needs and the needs of their families. Every light shining on the Tree of Lights brings hope for transforming the rehabilitation experience and shaping a better future for children across Quebec.
Émilie, rehabilitation nurse
Brilliant partners
The original idea for the Sainte-Justine Tree of Lights came from our partners at Rythme. This year, throughout the 15th anniversary campaign, listeners can tune in to the live broadcast at 4:45 p.m. during the Y’est 4 h quelque part drive-home show, Mondays through Thursdays, for the latest lighting-up numbers.
For the ninth year in a row, METRO is teaming up with the Sainte-Justine Tree of Lights to enable customers to make a checkout donation through any Metro or Metro Plus store in Quebec or online at Metro.ca. The funds will be used to help Sainte-Justine carry out its work and support the hospital’s Social Services through the METRO Sainte-Justine Family Assistance Fund.
For Giving Tuesday, if 250,000 lights are shining on the Tree by midnight on November 29, the Famille du lait and Équipe Isabelle Naud, courtier immobilier will together pitch in $50,000.
And for an 11th year in a row, donors are cordially invited to join the Twinkle Club by sponsoring 10 or more bulbs on the Tree at treeoflights.org. For every member who joins the Club, Mega Bloks®, a member of the Mattel® family, will contribute 5 extra lights, up to a campaign total of $40,000.
Starting today, you can join our province-wide chain of caring and brighten the lives of the children and families of Sainte-Justine.
