Festive trees at Festival of Trees

25th annual fundraiser for Habitat for Humanity

MOSES LAKE — The tree decorated by Paul and Shelly Detrick for the Habitat for Humanity Festival of Trees was seriously flocked. But that was part of the fun. The tree had a duck theme, so of course it was flocked. And of course it had a garland of (used) shotgun shells.

The 25th annual Festival of Trees filled the house at the Grant County Fairgrounds Saturday night; it’s the biggest yearly fundraiser for Habitat for Humanity of Greater Moses Lake.

“My husband’s work,” said Shelly Detrick. Paul Detrick came up with the idea during the 2018 Festival of Trees, went down to the shooting range and gathered up the empty shells, designed the decorating scheme, which featured cattails.

Kelly Frederick had her eye on a tree, and if she won it, she knew right where it was going – she had already picked out the spot at North Elementary, she said. Frederick is the principal at North, and heard stories about Habitat from students whose families were part of the program. When she saw what it meant to them to have a home they helped build, she got involved in decorating and donating trees, she said.

The families are involved every step of the way, and are required to do some of the work. Shelly Detrick said that’s one thing she likes about Habitat. Volunteer auctioneer and 2019 Golden Hammer Award winner Chuck Yarbro agreed with that. “I love that it’s a hand up, not a handout,” he said.

Bruce Gering said he and his wife Patti have things pretty good now, when he thinks about it. “We have so much. And there are people out there that need some help.”

Debbie Hassan attended the festival a couple of times as a guest, “then we started hearing the stories,” she said.

Trees were sponsored by Veronica Lisa Bradley and Renee Ballinger, Cynthia Harder, Tamy Roloff and Irene Packard, Guild Mortgage, Frontier Title and Escrow, Confluence Health, Fathom Realty, Jimmy and Shirley Kamada and Rolly and Lynn Garza, and Carisa Weitman. Paul and Shelly Detrick were helped by some friends, and so were Frederick, Robin Harrell and Jennifer Dennis. Roy and Judy Warnick donated the trees. There was a separate raffle for wreaths, designed and donated by Erik Lampi and Rosa Nambo.

Board chair Lynn Garza said Yarbro has volunteered his time for the Festival of Trees auction for a number of years, and has advised Habitat’s board of directors on marketing their event. Nor is Habitat the only organization for which Yarbro volunteers, Garza said. He’s presided over auctions that have raised almost $10 million for various charities, she said.

Yarbo said he’s run charitable auctions nationwide. “Pound for pound, nobody gives like the Pacific Northwest, especially the Columbia Basin,” he said. In his experience, when a cause needs help, the community responds, he said.

Habitat focuses on one project and one family, and in the ongoing conversation about changing the world, “that’s one way to do it, one person at a time,” Yarbro said.

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