Winter Wonderland arrives in town
File photo
The 11th annual edition of Karonhiaráhstha’s Winter Wonderland starts tomorrow, with more prizes than ever honouring the memory of Karonhiaráhstha Sky Junie Delisle.
This year’s edition of the event will take place at the Playground Event Center, where more than 20 trees donated by sponsors can be won, alongside two daily draws of $1,000 and a half-and-half draw - last year’s half-and-half saw the lucky winner walk away with more than $60,000.
The event has run annually to honour Karonhiaráhstha, who passed away as a baby in 2013, with proceeds from the Winter Wonderland funding scholarships for students pursuing medical careers in the community.
Each ticket for the event grants attendees 42 tickets to spend on trees - a winner will be drawn for each tree, and that person will win the tree and everything around it. This year’s trees include cash trees, such as a $12,000 cash tree organized specifically to honour what would have been Karonhiaráhstha’s 12th birthday, vacation-related trees, home furnishing themed trees, and more.
Each entrance also gives attendees one entry in the daily draws for $1,000, and on the eighth day of tree drawings, another additional eight names will be pulled to win a further $1,000 each.
“It’s a special event, she’s always on our mind, but especially at this time of year, where we get to honour her memory,” said Lisa Skye, a Kateri Memorial Foundation (KMF) board member and Karonhiaráhstha’s aunt. “We hope that her legacy will provide the community with the greatest healthcare we can provide, and our dream as a family is that people go to school, come back with that knowledge, and work in our community.”
A special inclusion hour will be held tomorrow (Saturday) from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. before doors open to the public, with the event running daily until December 7 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Santa will also be stopping by to take pictures with guests on Thursday, December 4, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., and the tree winners will be announced on the final day, December 7, at 6 p.m.
Skye said it’s meaningful to see the community of Kahnawake and non-locals from nearby continue to show up to support the event more than a decade in.
“If we can help any child achieve their dreams and aspirations to go to school for healthcare and better our community, we’re happy, because that’s what it’s all about,” she said.
