The sweet smell of pine wafted through the old Scotiabank office Saturday as volunteers from the Aberdeen Hospital Auxiliary prepared to decorate more than 200 Christmas wreaths.
The wreaths, which are being sold to local individuals and businesses for the auxiliary’s fundraiser, are made up of all-natural fir pine branches. Volunteers set to work fixing pinecones, coloured bows, berries and various other Christmas baubles.
“We’ve been doing it now for six years. We started with 40, this year we have over 200, they’re very popular, we have great girls to decorate them,” said auxiliary past president Sharon Macdonald, who still liaises with the hospital.
The wreaths, which typically sell out within days, will go on sale Monday and help pay for improvements at the hospital, as per previous fundraisers.
One recent improvement was new furnishings at the emergency family room, according to Macdonald.
“It gives us as auxiliary members a chance to work together and we have a lot of creative people, so we have a lot of fun doing this, it’s a time for us to get together and celebrate Christmas a little ahead of time and we just really enjoy it,” said Macdonald.
Auxiliary members decorated wreaths on Saturday, using tools such as clippers and scissors to help fasten on Christmas ornaments, after hauling them into their workshop from the backs of two pickup trucks.
While fun for the members, wreath sales are hardly the only event put on by the auxiliary.
In September, the group ran their first ever fashion show fundraiser in the hospital’s cafeteria. More recently, the auxiliary was selling artwork to raise money.
The workshop opens for wreath sales starting Monday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Macdonald and her team expected to be sold out within a week.
“It’s a great opportunity to support the Aberdeen Hospital Auxiliary and our hospital,” said Macdonald.
Each wreath costs $30. To order one and to obtain more information, please call Sharon Macdonald on 902-759-3692.
