Festival of Trees Breaks Attendance, Fundraising Records

SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield Boys & Girls Club’s 14th annual Festival of Trees had a record-breaking year, drawing more than 13,000 visitors and raising more than $116,000 to support the Club’s mission. Featuring 141 trees in 2014, the hallmark holiday event for families and children raises much-needed funds for after-school and summer programs that serve 1,500 inner city youth each year. The 2014 Festival of Trees officially kicked off on Nov. 28, and closed its doors for the season on Dec. 14. After the final viewing, volunteers made 141 phone calls to the lucky winners of the fully decorated trees that were raffled off as part of the event. All of the trees were donated by businesses, organizations, families, and individuals. The majority of the festival’s visitors participated in the raffle hoping to win one of the trees, valued between $200 and $2,000. The Springfield Boys & Girls Club provides youth development programs for more than 1,500 children each year in the areas of recreation, educational enrichment, technology training, career development, substance abuse prevention, health and fitness, and leadership. All of the proceeds from the Festival of Trees directly fund the club’s operations. For more information, visit www.sbgc.org or call (413) 785-5266. The names of all sponsors, and tree winners, can also be found on the website.