(Photo above by Andrea Springer)
The Hospice of Redmond announces its 34th Annual Festival of Trees will be held on Saturday, December 2 at the Deschutes County Fairgrounds and Expo Center. The Festival of Trees is not only a Central Oregon holiday tradition for many, but is a benefit for Hospice of Redmond programs.
On Friday, December 1 35 tree decorator teams converge on the Middle Sisters to set up and decorate the trees they are donating to the fundraiser. The room is transformed from a bare hall to a winter wonderland of beautifully decorated holiday trees. All of the trees are designed, decorated, and donated by teams of community. The trees range from fun to elegant, with themes from Disney characters to traditional child-oriented, to snowy nature, to beautiful crystal and sumptuous Victorian, to appreciation and recognition of veterans.
About half of the decorating teams have donated and decorated trees for several years, some for as long as 30 years or more. Other teams are new to the process and are participating in the Festival for the first time.
“The community groups and individual families who decorate and donate the wonderful trees are priceless, they have made this successful for 34 years,” said Andrea Springer, the Festival of Trees coordinator. “We could not do it without them and the many volunteers who come back year after year.”
The Festival opens on Saturday morning at 10am and is free to the public. The daytime event features family activities including viewing of creatively decorated trees, children’s games in the Kid’s Corner, a hospitality table with holiday cookies, live entertainment by local singers and dance troops, raffles and holiday shopping, and, of course, visits with Santa.
The more formal ticketed Gala Event and Auction opens its doors at 5pm. The evening event features local band, Burnin’ Moonlight, and hors d’oeuvres by Tate and Tate. The evening includes a silent auction and raffles. The Festival culminates in the exciting live auction of the decorated trees.
Evening Gala tickets on sale now for $55 each. To purchase tickets, all 541-548-7483.
All funds raised at the Festival allows Hospice of Redmond, a nonprofit, to serve family in Central Oregon that are not covered by Medicare or private insurance. These services include our Transitions program with Palliative care for people with life-limiting illnesses, bereavement counseling and Camp Sunrise a camp for children who have lost loved ones.
www.hospiceofredmond.org
Andrea Springer or Jane McGuire, 541-548-7483
outreach@hospiceofredmond.org
