Tributes can be paid to loved ones who died from cancer through an annual Christmas drive.

Rena Lalgie, the Governor, officially lit the Pals memorial tree inside the Washington Mall this afternoon.

Mount Saint Agnes Academy’s middle school choir and string orchestra entertained shoppers with festive tunes during the event.

JoAnne Armstrong, a retired Pals nurse who helped to establish the initiative in 1994, said the charity expects about 1,400 tributes to be written, attached to ornaments and hung on the tree this year, between today and December 22.

She said: “Once Christmas is over, we take the message cards, burn them and scatter the ashes at sea.

“However, we save and reuse the ornaments they are attached to for the next year.”

Ms Armstrong added that despite the tributes being free of charge to write, more than $400,000 has been donated towards the tree since its inception.

The deadline for tributes is December 22, but they will stay on the tree until after the new year.

People can get a tribute card and ornament on the ground level of the Washington Mall, next to the Harbourmaster, from Monday to Saturday from 10am to 5pm.

• To learn more about the charity and its initiatives, visitpals.bm

• UPDATE: This story has been updated after additional information was provided about the total value of donations since the memorial tree was started.