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Merry and bright | Fantasy of Trees raises $450,000 for East Tennessee Children's Hospital

According to a release, organizers are working on multiple options to keep safety a top priority and to minimize large crowds at the event.

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — East Tennessee Children’s Hospital Fantasy of Trees fundraiser returned with extended hours, after a year off due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Around $450,000 was raised from the event. It ended on Sunday.

The annual event is the hospital’s largest fundraiser, attracting nearly 60,000 people during the week of Thanksgiving, according to a release. It is being held in the Knoxville Convention Center.

“Fantasy of Trees has become a family tradition for more than three decades and we are so happy to bring it back,” Vice President for Institutional Advancement Carlton Long said.

According to a release, organizers were working on multiple options to keep safety a top priority and to minimize large crowds at the event.

Organizers said Fantasy of Trees will be open to the public for 6 days, instead of the usual 5 days, to limit the number of people attending each day, and there will not be a preview party this year due to the extended hours.

Officials said a new dedicated cleaning committee was formed to continuously clean all high-touch surfaces and to follow CDC COVID-19 guidelines. 

The Fantasy of Trees fundraiser raised more than $420,000 in 2019, enabling the hospital to purchase life-saving medical equipment for patients, according to a release.

For the hours of operation and ticket prices, visit the Fantasy of Trees website.

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