The Forest of Miracles, and your place in it
Welcome! Seen by over 75,000 people through the holidays, your tree stands as a witness to the bright spirit of our community, a beacon of hope and joy against the darkest hours of the year. There's no other Christmas forest like this in coastal British Columbia, a forest of miracles that allows us to end homelessness beautifully together.
Since 2008, the Forest of Miracles has rallied our community to give over $400,000 in charitable donations directly to the Lookout Society. In 2017, 2018 and again this season, the Lookout Foundation matched dollar for dollar all of the donations made to Lookout through the Forest of Miracles. This has allowed Lookout to purchase a condo on the North Shore to provide permanent, rent geared to income housing. This forest, unlike any other, has allowed the most vulnerable members of our community the love and support they need to make their way out of homelessness and claim their places at the heart of our community.
Pro tip: crowd source your charitable donation to Lookout. This is a powerful way to allow everyone you love to be part of the solution to one of the core challenges facing our community. Each donor will receive a charitable tax receipt from Lookout. Dig deep: this season, every penny you donate to Lookout through the Forest of Miracles, up to $50,000, will be matched by a benefactor. Lookout will use the proceeds to buy permanently affordable housing for members of our community exiting homelessness.
Give everyone you love the opportunity to show their love for your tree and receive a charitable tax receipt instantly from the Lookout Society.
Save Saturday November 30th, noon to dusk, for our thrilling tree decorating party on Dundarave Beach. Join us for an afternoon of free concerts and the official Lights Up Ceremony. Decorate your tree with everyone you love on this festive day.
Please be sure to remove all lights and decorations from your tree by January 7th. Material left on the trees after this day will be disposed of as property of the Dundarave Festival.
Since 2008, the Forest of Miracles has rallied our community to give over $400,000 in charitable donations directly to the Lookout Society. In 2017, 2018 and again this season, the Lookout Foundation matched dollar for dollar all of the donations made to Lookout through the Forest of Miracles. This has allowed Lookout to purchase a condo on the North Shore to provide permanent, rent geared to income housing. This forest, unlike any other, has allowed the most vulnerable members of our community the love and support they need to make their way out of homelessness and claim their places at the heart of our community.
Pro tip: crowd source your charitable donation to Lookout. This is a powerful way to allow everyone you love to be part of the solution to one of the core challenges facing our community. Each donor will receive a charitable tax receipt from Lookout. Dig deep: this season, every penny you donate to Lookout through the Forest of Miracles, up to $50,000, will be matched by a benefactor. Lookout will use the proceeds to buy permanently affordable housing for members of our community exiting homelessness.
Give everyone you love the opportunity to show their love for your tree and receive a charitable tax receipt instantly from the Lookout Society.
Save Saturday November 30th, noon to dusk, for our thrilling tree decorating party on Dundarave Beach. Join us for an afternoon of free concerts and the official Lights Up Ceremony. Decorate your tree with everyone you love on this festive day.
Please be sure to remove all lights and decorations from your tree by January 7th. Material left on the trees after this day will be disposed of as property of the Dundarave Festival.
How to Make Your Tree Spectacular
1. Use only CSA approved L.E.D. lights.
Creative Commons, casmium
With the benefit of a small revolution in electronics, we can keep Christmas bright without wasting power. The trees of the Dundarave Festival of Lights are all about sustainability, fixing carbon as they grow less than 50 km from Dundarave. To keep our Festival green, make a point of using only L.E.D. lights in as many colours as you like. All lights must be outdoor grade and approved by the CSA. (Our friends at the West Vancouver Fire Department, with our support and encouragement as always, will keep a special eye out for lights that don't show the CSA seal of approval.)
2. Be in your element.
Creative Commons. C.J. Richey
The most important thing to keep in mind is that your tree gives you the ability to let your best hope for our community shine out for five weeks, reaching tens of thousands of people. Show your heart, your genius for joy. Dundarave Beach and Dundarave Village are amazing locations for an open air Christmas tree festival. The changing light, the unpredictable weather and the bracing North Pacific air combine to make the Festival an exhilarating part of the holiday season. Dress your tree for the weather. Make sure to use water proof or weather resistant decorations, and wire them securely to your tree.
3. Be fabulous.
Thousands of people will see your tree, by themselves or with their family and friends, over the five weeks of the Festival. Use this moment to let your personality shine. Take a tip from perennial Festival favourites, the North Shore Dragon Busters: bring your passion for life to life in your tree. Decorating your tree should be fun and never stress your Christmas piggy bank.
