UVic cancels Christmas tree fundraiser due to lack of trees
A University of Victoria fundraiser is the latest victim of this year's weather events and supply chain issues.
The annual Christmas tree sale for the University of Victoria’s track and field and cross-country teams has been cancelled this year.
In a statement posted on Facebook, the teams announced they won’t be selling trees for the first time in over 20 years due to the lack of a suitable supplier and available trees.
This year's weather events have taken a toll on Christmas tree farmers and UVic’s previous suppliers don’t have enough trees to go around this year.
The event has not only been an annual holiday tradition for many in the community but a big fundraiser for the teams, bringing in between $20,000 and $25,000 annually.
Selling over 500 trees a year, the money raised accounted for 50 per cent of the team’s annual fundraising efforts and typically goes towards supporting 40 athletes with travel and competition expenses each year.
“I know that not only are we disappointed but the community is disappointed because it was a tradition for a lot of families to come to our tree lot and connect with our team,” said head coach Hilary Stellingwerff.
“So we’re going to try and re-establish some connections and make some new fundraising efforts but I think it will take a couple of years," she said.
The teams also hold Christmas tree-chipping events in January and track and field camps in the summer, but nothing compares to the tree sales when it comes to raising money.
“We thought about other ways, like a Christmas market, or what are other things other people are doing,” said Stellingwerff.
“We had connected with a local scouts group, that’s who we shared the trees with last year, but nobody can get trees and it’s a big undertaking to repurpose a fundraiser.”
Another fundraising effort they are considering is a soil sale in April. The teams are open to other ideas from the community.
“We’re not going to give up,” said the coach. “We are still going to look for suppliers in the future, but it seems like everybody is at a shortage this year, unfortunately."
The Vikes teams will continue with their annual tree-chipping fundraiser on Jan. 8 and 9 in the Centennial Stadium parking lot.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
What to know about avian influenza in dairy cows and the risk to humans
Why is H5N1, or bird flu, a concern, how does it spread, and is there a vaccine? Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about avian influenza.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
opinion The special relationship between King Charles and the Princess of Wales
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.
Pro-plastic lobbyist presence at UN talks is 'troubling,' say advocates
Environmentalist groups are sounding the alarm about a steep increase in the number of pro-plastic lobbyists at the UN pollution talks taking place this week.
'Too young to have breast cancer': Rates among young Canadian women rising
Breast cancer rates are rising in Canada among women in their 20s, 30s and 40s, according to research by the University of Ottawa (uOttawa).
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
$70M Lotto Max winners kept prize a secret from family for 2 months
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Courteney Cox says her partner Johnny McDaid once broke up with her in therapy
Courteney Cox's longtime partner Johnny McDaid once broke up with her in a therapy session.
Are Canadians getting sick from expired food?
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.