120511 Red Cross Festival of Trees kicks off holiday season

  • By Sharon Haught
  • November 27, 2011
  • 304
                        
Summary: The Wayne County community ushered in the holidays with the 2011 American Red Cross Festival of Trees. With historic buildings filled with thousands of twinkling lights and live musical entertainment, the American Red Cross Festival of Trees has signaled the official start of the Christmas season in Wooster for the past two decades. For the 20th installment of his holiday classic, businesses and organizations from throughout the area underwrote the cost of the 73 elaborately decorated Christmas trees, wreaths and table displays on exhibit at the Wayne County Historical Society in the week leading up to Thanksgiving. Trees and decorations of all shapes, colors and sizes were tucked into every nook and cranny of the historic buildings that comprise the Historical Society’s campus. Trees ranged from traditional styles to the highly unusual including a Pirates of the Caribbean themed tree fit for Captain Jack Sparrow himself and a tree made entirely of wine bottles whimsically entitled “My Christmas Tree Was Way More Fun to Decorate Than Your Christmas Tree!” The area’s top designers took up the challenge of creating the most beautiful Christmas decoration, competing for awards in various categories. A panel of judges presented 13 awards including this year’s Award of Distinction, which was presented to Samantha Murphy for creation entitled “Around the World in 25 Days”, which was donated by the Obermiller Family on behalf of the International Baccalaureate Class of 2012. Festival of the Trees visitors were also be treated to entertainment by local instrumental, dance and singing groups over the two weekends the items up for auction were on display at the Historical Society. In addition to dance performances by the students from Tamala Taylor’s Academy of Dance, solo artists Amy Garner, Luisa Westfall, Nellie Wile, Tom Davis and Marcus Ladrach took to the stage of the historic 1800’s era one-room schoolhouse. Also performing were groups from Dalton High School, the Apple Creek United Methodist Church and the Sibilia Strings, the Unity Singers Choir, the Central Christian School Chamber Choir and Wooster Saxophone Ensemble. Also on display at the Historical Society were 50 items donated by area businesses and retailers that will be auctioned off along with the trees and other holiday decorations on Nov. 29 at the Greenbriar Conference and Party Center in Wooster to benefit the American Red Cross. The auction items included a include everything from tickets to the ballet, box seats to an Indians game and Ohio Light Opera tickets to art, handcrafted quilts and jewelry including a stunning 14 karat while gold ring containing 20 diamonds specifically designed by DeSilva Jewelers to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Festival of Trees. Serving as honorary chairpersons for the 2011 Festival of Trees are Mike and Duper Pallotta. Leading the Festival of Trees Committee is chair Phyllis Hackel. According to Red Cross officials all proceeds from the event remain in Wayne County to benefit the Wayne County Chapter of the American Red Cross Disaster Services program, which assists hundreds of community members in need of a helping after fires, floods, power outages, tornadoes and other disasters large and small. Red Cross staff members and volunteers help families get back on their feet by providing such essentials as temporary and long term housing, food, clothing and medical needs to those involved in natural and manmade disasters. The Festival of Trees is the local American Red Cross Chapter’s largest fundraising venture of the year for the Disaster Services program. The organization’s goal this year is to raise $50,000 for the Disaster Services program through the Festival of Trees patron auction. For more information on the Festival of Trees and the services offered by the Wayne County Chapter of the American Red Cross log on to www.arc-wayne.org.


Loading next article...

End of content

No more pages to load