Every tree is different

BY NANCY KELLY

Kings County Register

CFB Greenwood’s Festival of Trees returns this weekend to usher in the holiday season - and help those in need.

The fourth annual event invites wing employees, businesses and organizations between Halifax and Yarmouth to unleash their creative talents and decorate three-foot Christmas trees provided by the base to raise funds for the wing’s Combined Charity Campaign. Over the past four years, the festival has raised close to $35,000 for local food banks, school lunch programs and a variety of agencies in Kings and Annapolis counties.

Lt. Randy Stevenson co-chairs the Combined Charity Fund and is helping organize the 2007 event that kicks off November 23 at the Annapolis Mess with a team decorating evening.

“That session is only open to decorating teams and, as it is a licenced event, all participants must be aged 19 and over,” explains Stevenson. A work crew will spend Friday “fluffing trees” as they come out of their boxes and setting up for the weekend.

The public is invited to browse the collection of uniquely-designed trees and submit bids on their favorites between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Saturday, and again Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., when the successful bidders will be announced. In 2006, 86 trees were auctioned. The Kingston Lions will be back with about 30 two-foot trees of their own.

Complementing the festive atmosphere, there will also be snacks and baked goods for sale and entertainment by local choral groups and bands. Wing Imaging will be on hand to take family and children’s photos and childcare will be provided by the Greenwood Military Family Resource Centre.

Stevenson encourages people to bid often on what they like because “that’s the best way to be the person with the winning bid on a spectacular tree.”

The event traditionally generates a lot of “very individual entries,” and this year will be no exception. JC’s Pools and Hot Tubs of Kingston is including a 21-foot pool in their entry and Lola’s Touch of Beauty from Middleton is back again this year with two trees decorated with gift certificates.

There is no cost to enter a tree in the auction is one of the reasons the event has been so well supported.

“There are a lot of small businesses in the area that can’t really afford to make big donations, and this allows them to help the wing charity out.” This year for the first time, several of the charity’s recipients are taking part as a way to give back and say thank you.

The committee will sit down and parcel out “hopefully close to $50,000.

“Some of our donors make specific requests as to where their money goes, but the remainder of the funds goes to the list of local charities that we have. We set a baseline amount and add to it ‘til it's all gone.” The fund gives away 100 per cent of all it raises.

Stevenson encourages businesses and organizations to take part by contacting him at 765-1494 ext. 3648 by November 22.