Dundarave Festival of Lights focused on helping the homeless
A small army of West Vancouver firefighters set up 100 Christmas trees on Dundarave Beach last week for a fundraiser focused on ending homelessness. Money raised from tree sponsors of the annual event goes to the North Shore Lookout Shelter. Over the past five years $125,000 has been raised.“We see the face of homelessness on this very beach, in our parks and ravines,” said Michael Markwick, spokesman for the Dundarave Festival of Lights. “The face of homelessness in our community is looking older and younger, as increasing numbers of seniors and youth turn to the North Shore Shelter for help.” The trees will be lit on Dec. 1 at the Dundarave Christmas Fair, a family-friendly concert that runs the four Saturdays before Christmas. Thanks to money raised from the trees, the Lookout Shelter has been able to double its transitional support staff. “The goal of the Dundarave Festival of Lights is to end homelessness beautifully — one person at a time, one Christmas tree at a time,” said Markwick. Most of the festival’s 100 trees have already been claimed by families, businesses and community organizations, but there are still a few left. To sponsor a tree, contact Markwick at 778-847-1426.
COMMENTS
Let's keep comments:
We ask that all participants own their words by logging in with their Facebook account. It's a simple process that will take seconds and helps keep our comments free of trolls, cranks, and “drive-by” commenters.
We reserve the right to remove comments from anyone using screen names, pseudonyms or false identities. Please see our FAQ if you have questions or concerns about using Facebook to comment.