Memorial’s Festival of Trees Seeks Volunteers for Holiday Event

[October 31, 2018]  Memorial Medical Center Foundation seeks volunteers for the 29th annual Festival of Trees, which will take place Nov. 17-25 in the Orr Building on the Illinois State Fairgrounds.

More than 1,000 volunteers are needed to assist with a variety of tasks, including running the train, decorating gingerbread cookies, assisting children with crafts and working in the kitchen, toy shop and admissions.

“The support of all our volunteers makes Memorial’s Festival of Trees possible,” said Amanda Johnson, event manager for the Memorial Medical Center Foundation. “With nearly 35,000 people visiting the Festival of Trees, our volunteers help make our annual event one of the most popular family-oriented holiday traditions in central Illinois.”

The festival’s hours are 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Nov. 17, Nov. 19-21 and Nov. 23-24; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Nov. 18 and Nov. 25; and 4-8 p.m. Nov. 22 (Thanksgiving Day).

Volunteers must be at least 14 years old and can register at MemorialsFestivalof Trees.com, where they can view open time slots and request a preferred area.

Volunteering at the festival has become a tradition with many people volunteering in a group with their co-workers, family and friends, Johnson said. The festival has become a popular event for students to earn required service hours, she added.

Volunteers receive a Festival of Trees commemorative pin, free admission on the day of their shift and refreshments.

Memorial’s Festival of Trees began in 1989 as an event to benefit the healthcare programs offered by Memorial Medical Center. Since then, the festival has raised more than $4.9 million for health-related projects and programs for Memorial Health System and the Springfield community.

For more information about the Festival of Trees or to be a volunteer, contact the Festival of Trees office at [phone] or visit the festival’s website at MemorialsFestivalofTrees.com.

[Michael Leathers]