There are several avenues for FOT participation. Sponsors can support the event by sponsoring an XMAS tree that they can themselves decorate or have Rotary decorate. They can sponsor wreaths or decorative outdoor pots (urns), or donate an item of their choice – all of which will be used in the raffle or in an on-line auction. Or, you can make a cash-donation towards decorations or other item purchases needed to prepare the event. You can also make an in-kind donation of your organization`s services. Or, you can even sponsor our Santa Day, when Santa makes an early visit to the Museum for photos and to hear children`s XMAS requests.

As a sponsor, the Grimsby Rotary club recognizes you on the Fantasy of Trees website (www.fantasyoftrees.ca), Facebook and Instagram. In addition, your organization’s name is published directly with your sponsored item and listed in the Museum entry hall. In addition, sponsor organizations can set their business cards in the Museum. Your website address and a QR code are displayed with your item. Lead and Major Sponsors are recognized on our rack cards which are distributed across the Town of Grimsby. 

The Fantasy of Trees traditionally has more than 3,000 adults & children visitors from the local community and beyond, and is therefore an excellent opportunity for your organization to receive exposure associated with this community-minded and family-oriented event. It’s also an opportunity to partner with Rotary which has a world-wide reputation for social causes, and to be directly associated with our local community recipient charities.

Our recipients are all duly-registered charities, chosen for their broad reach into our local community. Each is focused on supporting the local residents of our area and region.

The funds are disbursed to local charities by March the following year, e.g. 2025.

The Rotary Club of Grimsby presents & hosts the Fantasy of Trees each year and the Grimsby Museum is the venue for the festive display. The Museum’s Gift Shop, with its wide variety of XMAS items for purchase, is open before, during and after the FOT event.

The FOT raffle is a permitted event under a Lottery Licence issued by the Town of Grimsby. Numbered raffle tickets are sold in sheets of 25 tickets and are considered great value ($10 per sheet or 3-sheets for $20). This gives attendees lots of opportunities to select and drop tickets for trees, wreaths, urns, and donated items. When the event closes, raffle ticket numbers are drawn, the winners are contacted for pickup, and the winning numbers are posted on the FOT website and in the local press.

In addition to the raffled items at the museum, other prepared and donated items are auctioned off on-line, using the Zeffy silent auction platform. The auctioned items can be viewed at the museum, and with a QR code, anyone can bid immediately on the item they are viewing.

Proceeds from the sale of lottery raffle tickets are distributed to the named charities in the licence application. Most of the administrative costs are covered by sponsors. Certain expenses such as the cost of the tickets, web site, lottery permit fees are recovered from the lottery sales in accordance with the Lottery Licence application. Lottery regulations allow only for certain lottery expenses such as the cost of raffle ticket printing, website and lottery permit costs. This means that the proceeds of the lottery go to local charities.

Contact us by email to arrange for an in-kind donation discussion. For example, if your firm provides a unique service such as cleaning services, that would be a great donation. In-kind donations for services such as printing, advertising, coupons, are very much appreciated and would help defray our expenses.

No, the Rotary provides the trees, wreaths and/or urns for all sponsors, due to insurance requirements. The Rotary club pre-purchases new-undecorated “deluxe”, “full-size” and “small/pencil” XMAS trees with LED lights, any of which can be designated to a sponsor after their commitment. Rotary also prepares and pre-decorates XMAS wreaths in advance, in a range of sizes for similar sponsorship.