Montréal, November 30, 2015 - The CHU Sainte-Justine Foundation and its partners, Rythme FM and Metro grocers of Quebec, are kicking off the 8th annual Le Grand sapin de Sainte-Justine campaign. People across Quebec are encouraged to light a record 100 000 shimmering beacons of hope on the most majestic tree to ever grace the front of the hospital.

Starting today, the towering evergreen will be lit every evening, burning brighter and brighter as more donations are made, until the final lighting ceremony on December 10. Available for $5 on legrandsapin.org , each twinkling light sends a message of love, hope and comfort to the patients and families spending the holidays at CHU Sainte-Justine.

As the campaign’s major partner, Metro invites its customers to make a donation at checkout in one of its 207 grocery stores throughout the province until December 10, 2015. “Once again this year, we invite our customers across Quebec to generously contribute to this campaign, which reflects our values and social mission to support the communities we serve. Nearly 36 000 beacons of hope were lit in 2014 thanks to our shared efforts. Along with our employees and customers, we are dedicated to making this year’s tree the brightest ever,” said Marie-Claude Bacon, Senior Director of Corporate Affairs for Metro Inc.

Official broadcaster and campaign initiator, Rythme FM and its hosts, which include Véronique Cloutier, Marie-Soleil Michon, Julie Bélanger, Jean-François Baril, Saskia Thuot, Sébastien Benoît, Mitsou Gélinas and Mario Lirette, also invite their loyal listeners to help make the tree shine more brightly than ever. Tune in every afternoon starting at 4:00 for the daily results, namely during the Véro Show, from Monday to Thursday.  “Our employees, hosts and listeners have been enthusiastic promoters of Le Grand Sapin Sainte-Justine for a long time. Since most of them have little ones themselves, this fundraiser holds a special place in their heart. We trust that their dedication to the cause will help us reach this year’s ambitious goal,” said Johanne Cloutier, Programming Director and Assistant General Manager of 105,7 Rythme FM.

Brightening the lives of families hard hit by a child’s illness

Staying at a sick child’s bedside often requires that parents take time off work, sometimes even at the risk of losing their job. For this reason, a large portion of the funds collected go to the CHU Sainte-Justine’s social service, to meet the most pressing needs of families rallying around a sick child.

Since the campaign’s launch in 2008, Quebeckers have lit nearly 500 000 beacons of hope in the massive tree.

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