For the past 14 years, the Sainte-Justine Tree of Lights has been lit up for the children and families of Sainte-Justine, in line with public donations. This year, Santa took a break from preparing gifts to make this tree-lighting a magical and memorable moment. When the CHU Sainte-Justine Foundation asked him to climb up to the top of the tree to light the star, he responded instantly. “It would be my pleasure! I have just one request. I would like to use a Roto Merlo so that I can do it efficiently and safely.” Unable to refuse Santa anything, Manulift’s elves went to work. They went out of their way to equip Santa with a Merlo Roto 50.35 S Plus with a platform he could operate with a remote control…. so that he could make the eyes of Sainte-Justine’s children shine. 

490,000 lights (objective of 350,000) for children in hospital

The Sainte-Justine Tree of Lights is a fund raiser for the CHU Sainte-Justine Foundation, whose mission is to support the CHU Sainte-Justine, the only health facility exclusively dedicated to children, adolescents and mothers in Quebec. The public was invited to make donations to light up the tree and brighten the children’s hospital stay. Not only is the Tree a symbol of hope and comfort for the families at Sainte-Justine, but it also warms the hearts of hospital staff and shows the public’s support for them, who donated the highest amount ever.

Manulift at the service of Santa Claus and the children at Sainte-Justine

It was natural for the Manulift team to get involved with the CHU Sainte-Justine Foundation. This is a cause that is very dear to our hearts. And we can’t deny that helping someone who spoils billions of children around the world every year is truly an honour for us. Even if, we must admit, measuring up against Santa’s magic sleigh is no easy task!

🎶The little red-nosed Merlo …🎵

“Between Rudolf and the Merlo Roto, the choice is clear. ” – Santa Claus

For this delicate task, Santa Claus put his trust in the Merlo Roto 5035 S Plus available at Manulift, primarily for its manoeuvrability and precision, nothing like that of Rudolf, who is a bit clumsy. The machine’s powerful stabilizer and 360-degree mast rotation allowed Santa to light the star safely from the platform, which is much more comfortable than his sleigh.

“With its 100% hydrostatic transmission and a maximum load capacity of 11,000 lb, if the Merlo Roto could fly, I would exchange my sleigh for it! HO HO HO! In fact, I’m in discussions with the Manulift experts and their financing team to purchase one for some renovation work I have to do at the North Pole. ” – Santa Claus

Manulift commits to support the Foundation financially for 3 years

The Tree of Lights and its star are lit up, Santa is happy, and we were good this year. But our mission with the Foundation does not end there. At Manulift, we are proud to pledge our financial support to the CHU Sainte-Justine Foundation for the next three years in order to bring a little sweetness to the children at Sainte-Justine and their parents. And we are also committed to always being there for Santa. Whether he is renovating the North Pole or reaching for the top of a chimney, he will be able to count on the Manulift elves.

To light up the Sainte-Justine Tree of Lights click here.

To learn more about the Merlo Roto 50.35 S Plus click here.

P.S. – It’s a secret, but if you see Batman at CHU Sainte-Justine, he’s most likely one of our team members. Feel free to greet him and check our upcoming blog posts to learn who is behind our big-hearted Batman.