A festival that benefits thousands of Aroostook County children is marking its 10th year.
The St. Apollonia Dental Clinic Festival of Trees will open Friday, Dec. 6, at Northern Maine Community College in Presque Isle.
The holiday spectacular raffles off more than 70 decorated trees and gift assortments and is the only major fundraiser for the clinic. Local dentist Dr. Norma Desjardins and her husband, Paul, founded St. Apollonia in 2012 when they realized a growing number of kids had no dental care. Funds from the festival, which raised $190,000 last year, help the clinic offer low-cost services to more than 3,000 children from all over Aroostook County.
“Every penny that we have raised over the years has gone right into the clinic to help us provide dental services to children who are uninsured or underinsured,” said festival committee chairperson Sherry Chamberland. “We serve the MaineCare community, and MaineCare reimbursement, although it was increased, still doesn’t come even close to covering what the actual cost is to treat the children.”
The clinic had to raise funds to help bridge that gap, and that’s why the festival was created, Chamberland said.
This year’s event is slated from Friday, Dec. 6, to Sunday, Dec. 8, at the community college gym.
Sponsors are creating 75 lit tree displays, which is the maximum allowed in the space, Chamberland said. So many people wanted to participate this year that there’s a waiting list in case someone can’t participate, and some groups are teaming up on trees.
Visitors buy tickets — a strip of 10 costs $5 — and deposit them in buckets at the trees they hope to win. Winners are drawn at the close of the festival.
People can buy tickets on site or reserve them in advance by visiting the St. Apollonia website. When they come to the event, they can go to a special table, pay and pick up their reserved tickets.
To celebrate the 10th year, organizers will honor eight tree sponsors who have been with the festival since its first year. The County Federal Credit Union, Machias Savings Bank, Katahdin Trust, NorStar Title Company/Currier, Trask & Dunleavy, MMG, Team Superfrog, St. Apollonia and Wilder’s Jewelry will receive special gifts, Chamberland said. Five-year sponsors will also be recognized.
Other than 2020, when the festival was cancelled due to COVID-19, the event and proceeds have grown each year. The festival started in 2014 with 24 trees and raised $9,800. Last year, the $190,000 raised set a new record.
Besides treating children on site, the funds have helped the clinic grow its outreach into the community, Practice Manager Julie Tucci said. St. Apollonia is part of a pilot program called Virtual Dental Home, which helps provide care to kids outside of a dental office.
Virtual Dental Home allows dental professionals to offer preventive care in places like day cares, schools and primary care sites, according to the Children’s Oral Health Network of Maine. A dentist reviews the records and, if needed, patients go to a dentist’s office or clinic for further care.
“The best part of that is it removes a big barrier for parents who may have difficulty getting time off from work to get their kids to the dentist,” Tucci said. “We’re hoping to be part of the solution.”
St. Apollonia has visited four different Aroostook County Action Program child education centers and provided exams with parents’ permission, and the outreach is growing, Tucci said.
A partnership with Caribou Community School lets students see a hygienist at school with donated dental equipment. New this year, St. Apollonia will start the same program at Limestone Community School.
For Chamberland, the festival is a highlight of the holidays. With people sharing cheer amid the sparkling lights, magic happens, she said. Each year brings new stories of families who were touched by winning a tree when they needed it most.
Last year, one of those was a grandfather who brought his grandchildren to the festival, because their mother was working and couldn’t bring them, she said. He bought them some tickets and the family won a tree.
“When they came to pick it up, he was just overjoyed and told us that they didn’t have the finances to provide very much of a Christmas,” Chamberland said. “That always just makes our day when that happens.”
Admission to the Festival of Trees is free. Hours are from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 6, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 7, and from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 8.
