Festival of Trees set for Saturday

Benefits Habitat for Humanity

MOSES LAKE — Pretty Christmas trees will be on display and up for auction in a good cause Saturday. The annual Festival of Trees starts at 5:30 p.m. in the 4-H building at the Grant County Fairgrounds. It’s sponsored by Habitat for Humanity of Greater Moses Lake.

Tasha Tommer, Habitat affiliate coordinator, said 2019 will feature 11 elaborately decorated trees, dinner and a live auction. Traditionally, it’s one of Habitat’s biggest fundraisers.

The most recent Habitat house — the organization’s 14th – was finished in January, and the new homeowner will be the speaker at Saturday’s banquet. “We’re still building up our funds” for the next project, Tommer said, with the goal of building a house in 2021.

Habitat for Humanity helps families move into a new home of their own, built in part with their own labor. Habitat officials work with the homeowners on the financing.

Volunteers help with the construction, and many of the materials — and in some cases, the land — are provided at a discount and sometimes donated. In some cases Habitat also gets a discount from the specialty guys that do the work requiring inspection, the jobs like plumbing and electrical work.

Each tree is sponsored by businesses or organizations, families, sometimes by groups of friends or individuals, and sponsors have included former Habitat for Humanity clients. The sponsors provide the ornaments, gifts under the tree and volunteers to decorate. Habitat for Humanity provides the tree, and decorating advice if needed. Tree sponsors can go with a theme, although it’s not required.

For 2019 “everybody is being very hush-hush” about their decorating schemes, Tommer said. (One sponsor has let it slip they’re fans of the “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” movies.)

The trees are auctioned with the proceeds going to Habitat for Humanity. Tree and presents are delivered to the purchaser, or wherever the purchaser wants it sent.

The live auction will feature an outdoor bench with a Seattle Seahawks logo, which always generates a lot of interest. “People go crazy over that one every year.” Other auction items include a family photo package, tickets to sporting events, accessories for movie night, a golf package, and a dinner special (where the chef comes to the winner’s home) among others.

Tickets are $75 per person, $145 per couple, and can be purchased at the Habitat for Humanity website, www.habitatmoseslake.org. Some tickets might be available at the door, but Tommer said advance notification is requested.

Cheryl Schweizer can be reached via email at education@columbiabasinherald.com.