I like to joke that the  Tree of Light event  never presents the same disaster twice. This year, just before the event started, the special plug needed to switch on the tree lights went missing and all the hardware shops were closed. For a moment it seemed Tree of Light would take place with no lights at all. Thankfully my husband came to the rescue. He is an electrician and quickly cut off the special adapter and connected the lights to a three point plug. Then the jazz band did not arrive to perform. The audience never knew there was a problem because with less than ten minutes to prepare my colleague Zanoxolo Mciteka, who is a well-known entertainer, got up on stage and performed a complete set.

I joined Greendale House twenty years ago when it was still called HospiceWits. In the beginning it was just a job, like any other. That changed when my grandmother fell ill. One of our home care nurses who covered Lenasia visited her, made her comfortable and showed my family how to look after her. Personally experiencing the services we provide turned this work into a passion.

This is why when I attended my first Tree of Light event my whole family came with me, even my neighbours children. I had not realised how beautiful the atmosphere was at the event, with people picnicking and gathered to remember someone they loved. When it was time to hold the moment of silence, everyone turned and lit each other’s candles and we shared a sense of unity.

Tree of Light was held at the Johannesburg Zoo up until Covid-19. At its peak it drew over 500 people and one year we raised a million rand. But we had disasters too, like the year it rained hard on the day of the event. We rescheduled for the next weekend and then it rained yet again.

At first my role was minimal, but from 2013 onwards I became more involved and introduced a merchandise stall. Around the time of Covid in 2020 I began coordinating the event. When Covid hit we had to cancel the physical event. We ran an online Tree of Light and sent out a bulk email asking for support. In 2021 gatherings of about 250 were allowed, but social distancing made the Zoo impossible. We partnered with four malls and offered cut out globes for people to write on and hang on trees at the malls. But the spirit of Tree of Light was missing.

Then, when restrictions lifted, returning to the Zoo was no longer possible as they had other events scheduled. I suggested Sacred Heart College in Observatory and the school welcomed the partnership. The biggest change was losing our 25 metre tree. Its support structure at the Zoo was permanent and building a new one at the Sacred Heart College would have cost R250 000. We bought a  3.5 metres tree, and althoughthe tree is smaller, the move to Sacred Heart brought new life to the event. There was more entertainment, food vendors, involvement from the school, face painters and our own stalls. We still light the tree and observe a moment of silence, and now the programme ends with a spectacular laser show.

I begin preparing the new Tree of Light campaign as early as April or May, to launch the online campaign at the start of our financial year in July. People don’t realise how much work goes into the campaign and the event. Take the JOC (Joint Operations Committee) application: lots of paperwork, safety compliance, fire and generator certificates. It was intimidating the first few times, but now I know it inside out. We’ve had tense JOC moments over the years. Once a food vendor arrived at the event with an expired fire extinguisher, and the inspector wanted to shut us down. Luckily I could get a spare from the school.

Each year we search for entertainers willing to donate their time. Because Tree of Light takes place at the end of November, many performers are already booked. But we have loyal supporters who show up every year to perform, like Dez Petersen and Tobi. The Sacred Heart Marimba Band has also been with us since the early Zoo years. If I had to choose a favourite performer, it would be Jolene Martin. You could see how much she cared about hospice.

The stage goes up the day before the event and sound checks happen on the day. I am the first to arrive to meet the companies doing the set up and guide them on placement. After the event the work continues. The team helps pack away branding, tables, gazebos and fencing with most items cleared the same night, but larger items  collected on Monday. We hold a debrief soon after so every staff member can share feedback and suggest improvements.

The Tree of Light campaign strengthens our internal bonds too, and  has become a family affair for our staff team. Many bring their spouses and children. It’s lovely to put faces to names. My husband and our Management Accountant’s husband have become “annual friends”. Their job is blowing up the LED balloons together. My daughter is also old enough to volunteer now. I call her a hospice baby because she’s grown up with the organisation and coming to Tree of Light. I think the hospice blood entered her veins when I was pregnant, and she loves hospice as much as I do. She is always proud, always posting: “My mother is organising this event. Come to Tree of Light.” It means so much to me.

The overall Tree of Light campaign itself runs throughout the year. We send appeals to companies and individuals, and have a Tree of Light webpage with a virtual Tree where people can purchase a globe in memory of  their loved one, adding their  name and a message to  hang on the virtual tree. This webpage is always available for viewing or sharing. Our campaign target for  this year is R700,000 and we are currently at R300,000, halfway there, with six months to go.

Come join us next year and experience a magical Tree of Light event