For the second year in a row Bell Gardens Place is holding a Festival of Trees fundraiser for Highland County Relay for Life and it is calling on the local community for help.
Bell Gardens is asking local residents, businesses or organizations to donate a decorated Christmas tree, no more than 5 feet tall, to the Festival of Trees auction that will be held Thursday, Dec. 8 at the nursing facility located at 251 Harry Sauner Road, Hillsboro.
All proceeds will benefit Highland County Relay for Life.
Last year’s Festival of Trees produced 24 trees that raised just over $3,500, according to Ida Hecht, community relations manager at Bell Gardens.
“We are part of the Highland County community and we want to give back to the community,” Hecht said. “We feel this is for a great fundraiser that touches almost everyone in the community.”
Trees should be dropped off at Bell Gardens by Monday, Dec. 5.
Hecht said the trees will be set up throughout the Bell Gardens facility. Anyone interested can stop by and view the trees after Dec. 5. Then on Dec. 8, Bell Gardens will host an event that will start with hors d’oeuvres and drinks at 6 p.m. when visitors can also check out the trees, followed by a live auction of the trees starting at 7 p.m.
Local auctioneer Rick Williams will auction off the trees.
Anyone purchasing a tree can take it home that night or they can leave it at Bell Gardens and come back and pick it up later.
“What we’re trying to do is get people to come to the auction,” Hecht said. “We had about 100 people last year and that was a decent amount, but we would like to have more.”
For more information call Hecht at 937-393-8830.
Reach Jeff Gilliland at 937-402-2522 or on Twitter @13gillilandj.
