Cystic Fibrosis Christmas Tree festival takes off at Wellington Airport

A stunning forest of over 60 Christmas trees has transformed Wellington Airport into a festive wonderland, all in support of families living with cystic fibrosis (CF) in Wellington.

Generous businesses, community groups, and individuals have come together to sponsor trees as part of the annual Cystic Fibrosis Christmas Tree Festival, a cherished tradition that raises vital funds for the CFNZ Wellington Branch, supporting the local CF community.

CF is the most common life-threatening genetic condition affecting Kiwis, with more than 600 people living with CF in New Zealand. It often means a life-long and demanding daily regime of lung clearance and medication, regular medical check-ups, hospitalisations, and in some cases, lung transplantation. Life with CF can be especially tough on families at Christmas with extra treatment and unplanned hospital stays. 

Funds raised by the Christmas Tree Festival will help Cystic Fibrosis NZ (CFNZ) keep providing practical, emotional, and physical support to the CF community through:

• A team of Social Workers that visit and support families in their homes and medical settings.
• Wrap-around support for parents with a newborn baby.
• Keeping families together during hospitalisations by providing support with parking, meals, and travel.
• Helping with essential expenses to ease financial pressure like groceries, additional prescriptions, and power bills.
• Empowering people with CF to manage their condition through the Breath4CF physical exercise grants to support lung health.
• Providing mental health support through counselling to help with resilience and emotional wellbeing.
• Delivering extra comfort and care when it’s needed to families going through transplants and to those who need support with end-of-life care.

Lisa Burns, Chief Executive at Cystic Fibrosis NZ says:  “As we stand at the close of 2024, the landscape of cystic fibrosis is changing in ways we couldn’t have imagined just a few years ago. Together, we’ve made great strides in advocating for access to new treatments like Trikafta, celebrating its arrival with good reason.

“This means our CF community is becoming more diverse than ever, reflecting people of all ages with unique needs, from newborns to those eligible for life-changing treatments like Trikafta and those on a pre or post-transplant journey. These treatments bring fresh hope but also underscore the need for personalised, holistic care that supports both physical and emotional health.

“The journey ahead is filled with challenges that we as a community must navigate together, it’s an exciting and promising time in the history of CF.”

“We are deeply grateful to Wellington Airport and our wonderful sponsors - both returning and new - for their incredible generosity and commitment. Your support is the heart of the festival, and makes a meaningful difference for families living with cystic fibrosis. Thank you for standing with our CF community, together we are shaping a future where every person with living with CF has the chance to thrive and live healthy lives.” 

Jo Maxwell, Manager Brand and Sponsorship at Wellington Airport says: “This is an important cause we’ve been proud to support for 10 years now, helping make life a bit easier for vulnerable families this Christmas.

“It’s also very popular with travellers and creates a fantastic Christmas vibe in the terminal, thanks to our generous sponsors and volunteers.” 

Wellington Airport is once again providing a $10,000 advertising package for the first placed tree as judged by a local artist. The public can also vote for the ‘People’s Choice’ category with the winner receiving a $5,000 advertising package. 

Every vote cast goes in the draw to win a $500 shopping spree, and kids can win a $250 prize pack by designing their own tree. Previous festivals have raised around $30,000 to support the work of Cystic Fibrosis NZ.