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Festival of Trees on display in Burnaby to raise child hunger awareness

The Hilton Vancouver Metrotown also recently donated $4,000 to Backpack Buddies, who have partnered with the festival to help provide meals to local students.
Kyle Balzer
Kyle Balzer

The lobby of the Hilton Vancouver Metrotown is shining a little bit brighter these days.

That's because the Burnaby hotel is currently hosting the annual Festival of Trees, featuring large holiday displays decorated to the nines by several organizations looking to bring awareness to children facing hunger.

The trees were officially lit up on Nov. 15 at the Hilton Vancouver Metrotown — located at 6083 McKay Ave.  

The theme of the 2023 event to tackling childhood hunger in raising awareness to families struggling to provide this holiday season.

Backpack Buddies, partner for this year's Festival of Trees, received $4,000 on Thursday, Nov. 30, during an anniversary celebration for Hilton as part of the initiative.

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Backpack Buddies received a $4,000 donation from the Hilton Vancouver Metrotown in Burnaby to help feed local students as part of the 2023 Festival of Trees. By Burnaby NOW

The non-profit combats weekend hunger, according to a news release, by conscientiously packing backpacks every Friday with nutritious meals and snacks for students facing food insecurity.

This includes students in Burnaby's school district (SD41), who is set to receive proceeds from sponsor participation for this year's Festival of Trees.

"Past years have witnessed our contributions to Burnaby Family Life and Make-A-Wish BC & Yukon, underscoring our unwavering dedication to positively impact the lives of those in need," Hilton Vancouver Metrotown spokesperson Virna Yu explained.

"It's a meaningful endeavour to make Christmas bright for thousands! The community's invaluable time and support during this event will play a pivotal role in creating a lasting impact on the lives of children grappling with hunger during the holiday season."

The Festival of Trees will be on display until Jan. 3, 2024.

Featured tree participants this holiday season include (in alphabetical order):

  • Burnaby Board of Trade
  • Crescent Hotels and Resorts
  • Encore Global
  • LMI Technologies
  • Pat Quinn Classic Tournaments
  • Simon Fraser University
  • Tourism Burnaby
  • Vancouver Bachata Events

The public is being encouraged to visit the Hilton Vancouver Metrotown to view the trees and vote on their favourite in person or online via Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn.