EDMONTON -- Organizers are calling off a local holiday tradition and fundraiser eight months in advance in the name of public health responsibility.

The Festival of Trees cancellation marks the first major holiday event to make the decision in Edmonton.

“The most important thing in the world to us is the health and wellbeing of our community, patients, donors and healthcare staff,” said Dr. Jodi Abbott, president and CEO of the University Hospital Foundation.

This year’s festival would have been the foundation’s 36th.

Over 35 years, the Festival of Trees has raised $20 million for the University of Alberta Hospital, Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute and Kaye Edmonton Clinic.

But given that the four-day event receives help from more than 2,000 volunteers and staff, and requires extensive planning and expenses, the foundation says it had to make the decision now.

“We all need to do our part to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and protect the healthcare system until a vaccine is available, or public health officials say it is safe to come together in larger gatherings and our community is comfortable doing so.”

Provincial officials have described the new normal of physical distancing and gathering limitations as necessary for Alberta to remain in control of the virus, and unlikely to be rescinded for many months.

In acknowledging that early modelling may have given some Albertans the impression that infections would slow over the summer, Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Deena Hinshaw has said that is not true.

"The virus that causes COVID-19 will be with us for many months to come, and the relatively low case numbers we are seeing in most of the provinces are the result of our collective efforts and sacrifices,” she said, urging the public to be mindful of how quickly the virus has spread in group settings.

As such, most summer events have also been postponed.

COVID-19 MENTAL HEALTH LINE LAUNCHED

However, the University Hospital Foundation is not sitting idly until 2021: with dollars raised from previous Festival of Trees events, it is one of several groups helping fund a mental health service line for Albertans feeling the impact of the pandemic. 

Called Text4Hope, the program is being provided by Alberta Health Services. Albertans can access it by texting COVID19HOPE to 393939 and subscribing to daily messages from professionals.

The University Hospital Foundation is also helping pay for equipment needed at the U of A hospital and other COVID-19 requests, which it said are still being reviewed by AHS.

“We sincerely thank the community for the incredible support we’ve received over the years and for your understanding of this difficult decision to move our next Festival of Trees to December 2021,” the foundation said.

“Past donor support has had a major impact on the healthcare provided at the University of Alberta Hospital site, including providing advanced life support equipment and the cardiovascular intensive care unit (CVICU) at the Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute. Both may have a significant impact in the current fight against COVID-19.”