KNOXVILLE, Tenn — The beloved holiday event Fantasy of Trees will not happen in 2020, East Tennessee Children's Hospital announced on Tuesday.
Citing ongoing concerns over COVID-19, organizers said they had to make the difficult decision to cancel.
“This event has become a family tradition for 35 years. This was not an easy decision,” explained Carlton Long, V.P. for Institutional Advancement. “However, it is the right thing to do."
Fantasy of Trees is the hospital’s single largest fundraiser, attracting 60,000 people each year during the week of Thanksgiving.
"As a children’s hospital, we must set the best example and do our part to slow the spread of this virus," Long said. "There is no easy way to safely hold an indoor event this large during a worldwide pandemic.”
Fantasy of Trees also raised more than $420,000 in 2019, according to ETCH.
While Fantasy of Trees will not happen this year, organizers of that event are still planning to hold some type of holiday fundraiser. The details on that alternate fundraiser will be released soon.
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