BARRHEAD - The 10th-annual Festival of Trees gala, which was hosted Nov. 30 at Barrhead Elementary School, raised approximately $30,000 for 13 local non-profit organizations.
Festival of Trees committee member Michelle Rau said approximately $27,000 came in from both the live and silent auctions at the gala, which was a little higher than last year’s total of $25,000.
Through the involvement of employees at Scotiabank, another $3,000 could be added to the fundraising total via the Scotiabank Team Community Program. Under this program, Scotiabank will match up to $3,000 in donations towards a charitable event when fewer than 30 employees are involved.
“We definitely appreciate everyone who donated to the live or silent auction,” said Rau. “We thank the community for all their support.”
The Festival of Trees gala is the biggest fundraiser hosted each year by the Barrhead Chamber of Commerce.
The event originally began 2010 when Cheryl Morris first came up with the idea of auctioning off donated Christmas trees and wreaths and then donating the proceeds to charity.
This year’s gala consisted of a dinner in the BES gymnasium followed by a performance by magician and Sheldon Casavant. Local band Blind Dog Revival also performed Christmas songs during dinner.
The actual fundraising component consisted of both a silent auction and a live auction of trees, wreaths and other items donated by local businesses and organizations.
“We live in an extremely generous community,” Rau noted regarding the myriad of items that were up for sale.
Proceeds from the event go to a range of non-profit organizations, including the Barrhead Food Bank and the Barrhead and Community Refugee Support committee.
Rau noted that 230 people bought tickets to this year’s gala, which was down from last year’s total of 280. That said, the ticket sales really only cover the cost of hosting the event.
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