Memory Tree nears return to St. Vital Centre

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This article was published 02/11/2021 (1437 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Memory Tree may return to St. Vital Centre this holiday season, thanks to the help of a new partner.

On Oct. 28, Palliative Manitoba extended a public plea searching for an organizational partner capable of storing, transporting, and assembling its 15-foot-tall Memory Tree.

The process requires a team of eight to 10 people and a scissor lift with a trained operator. In the off-season, the tree stays in four large crates, which need ample storage space, said Lindsay Felstead, Palliative Manitoba’s fundraising co-ordinator.

Palliative Manitoba’s former logistics partner recently stepped away, leaving the charity scrambling to find a replacement. Over the weekend, an organization came forward and offered help.

“This organization saw the news story over the weekend and reached out. We weren’t connected with them before this,” Felstead said Monday.

The logistics aren’t finalized, so Palliative Manitoba has not revealed the benefactor’s identity, but it is hopeful the deal will go through, she said.

The massive Christmas tree is a holiday fixture at St. Vital Centre. Every year, visitors adorn its branches with hundreds of greeting cards, each carrying a message to honour lost loved ones.

As a registered charity, Palliative Manitoba provides programs and resources to the dying and bereaved. Its volunteers staff the tree during mall hours, collecting cards and lending a compassionate ear to people who want to share their memories and grief.

“When the holidays come around, it really magnifies the grief, because you feel that loss even more profoundly… People need to know that grieving is normal and that it’s accepted, and the Memory Tree really provides that safe space in a very public place,” Felstead said.

Leaving a card on the tree and sharing stories with volunteers is free, but Palliative Manitoba accepts donations during the campaign.

Funds raised over the holidays typically total more than $10,000. The money helps finance grief seminars, a telephone counselling service, and support groups for parents and teens, Felstead said.

Last year, the COVID-19 pandemic forced the fundraiser online. Instead of hanging cards on the tree, people submitted messages and donations through Palliative Manitoba’s website.

The virtual format was a surprising success, raising nearly $6,000.

It was the first time in 32 years the Memory Tree did not stand in St. Vital during the holiday season.

This year, Palliative Manitoba will continue to accept Memory Tree submissions online, but the organization is eager to get back into the shopping centre, Felstead said.

“Our grief volunteers are amazing individuals who are so compassionate, and they really love being able to sit at the tree and do this for other people. It was a big void last year,” she said.

Staff at St. Vital Centre feel the same, said a representative during a Monday interview.

“The Memory Tree brings an opportunity for St. Vital Centre’s community to reflect and remember loved ones. It was definitely missed last season, and we are so happy to have them back,” said Roxanne Lowen, customer service manager.

After arrangements are finalized, Palliative Manitoba and its new partner will install the Memory Tree on Nov. 21. It will stand vigil there until Dec. 27.

fpcity@freepress.mb.ca