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's a Barnacle? It's yellow, sticks and screams if you try to pry it off your car
Barnacles, bright yellow devices used to make sure parking scofflaws pay their tickets, could soon be making their way to cities across Canada.
Verdun Airbnb listing taken down amid complaints, fines and frustration from neighbours
An Airbnb in Montreal's Verdun borough was the source of much frustration from neighbours who say there were constant parties at the location. It has been taken down from the app, but housing advocates remain upset about short-term rentals.
Man who set himself on fire outside Trump trial dies of injuries, police say
A man who doused himself in an accelerant and set himself on fire outside the courthouse where former U.S. President Donald Trump is on trial has died, police said.
They were from different countries and barely spoke each other's languages. More than 20 years later, they're still happily in love
He decided to spend Christmas somewhere that wouldn't involve snowstorm disasters. She was spending the holidays with family, travelling for the first time outside of her native country of Venezuela. 23 years later, they're still in love.
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
A Nigerian chess champion plays the royal game for 60 hours - a new global chess record
A Nigerian chess champion and child education advocate played chess nonstop for 60 hours in New York City's Times Square to break the Guinness World Record for the longest chess marathon.
Fire in Labrador town under control, officials tells residents to stay away
RCMP say the fire that prompted a state of emergency in a Labrador town is now under control.
12 students and teacher killed in Columbine school shooting remembered at 25th anniversary vigil
Thirteen victims of the Columbine High School shooting were remembered during a vigil Friday on the eve of the 25th anniversary of the shooting that was the worst the nation had seen at the time.
Israeli airstrike in southern Gaza city of Rafah kills at least 9 Palestinians, including 6 children
An Israeli airstrike on a house in Gaza's southernmost city of Rafah killed at least nine people, six of them children, hospital authorities said Saturday, as Israel pursued its nearly seven-month offensive in the besieged Palestinian territory.