A New Trees for Life Campaign: Honouring More Heroes to Help Save Our Planet

One million trees.  $6 million dollars.

On Wednesday, May 17th, Trees for Life hosted an intimate event to thank some of our longest-standing and most ardent supporters. It was also when we announced the details of the new Trees for Heroes Campaign.

Marilena (Left) and Mark (Right)

Over the next 5 years, Trees for Life will support even more community-led groups in their efforts to plant trees in places where Canadians live work, and play – 1 million to be exact, and each one dedicated to the heroes that make these communities and our country a great place to live.  We will continue to honour the military, first responders, coaches, teachers and more, but the primary focus in the early days will be on healthcare heroes. To accomplish this, we need to raise $6 million.

We also launched a recognition program called Trees for Life CHAMPIONS, to show our appreciation to the individuals that have provided the transformational support that has enabled our ongoing success. Look for the CHAMPIONS’ stories in this and future newsletters, and learn more about them and why they chose to support Trees for Life. We hope you find them as inspirational as we do!

Those in attendance heard some exciting announcements too. The new campaign has been kick-started by two long-time benefactors, one who wishes to remain anonymous and the Barrett Family Foundation. They have invested a total of $1 million and $500,000 respectively towards this ambitious goal.  We’re off to a great start but still have much work to do.

You have been with us every step of the way and we’re glad you are joining us on this next part of our journey. You helped build the world’s largest living tribute of its kind through the Highway of Heroes Campaign, honouring military heroes who volunteered to defend our way of life. We’ve learned firsthand about those on the front lines of COVID who were fighting a war of their own, in health facilities, retirement, and long-term care homes. Those who put themselves in harm’s way to serve others, often took the risk of personal isolation from family and friends for fear of spreading the virus to their loved ones, especially in the early days when there was so much uncertainty and lack of information.

Most of us have put COVID behind us and are looking to the future. But it seems right to pay tribute to those that have and continue to make an impact through their service in the healthcare sector.  Planting trees in their honour will create a living legacy that pays tribute to their sacrifice. Not to mention the many health benefits we enjoy when our communities have more trees!

One special guest at the May 17th event was Marilena Genco, Manager of Corporate Applications for UniversalCare Inc., an organization that serves the Long-term Care and Retirement Home community. She summed it up this way when speaking about Trees for Life’s commitment to health workers: “It’s truly fitting that just as we were deemed “essential” workers so we could continue to do our jobs to save and sustain lives during the pandemic, these trees that will be planted in our honour also be deemed essential---essential to creating healthy lives through a better environment, and combatting climate change for generations to come.”

If you haven’t already, please consider making a gift that will help us continue to honour these heroes.  And if you know of others who will be influenced by your commitment to Trees for Life, please tell them our story and encourage them to join the campaign. Because it is only together that we will accomplish our goals and turn our dreams into reality.