Festival of trees raises cash for Boys & Girls Club

Saturday's sixth annual Festival of Trees in Havre, a fundraiser for the Boys & Girls Club of the Hi-Line, was a tremendous success this year, bringing in about $70,000 after expenses, the club's Executive Director Krista Solomon said.

"Actually it was an amazing night," she said. "We were beyond blessed by the support we got from the community."

Each year, businesses, organizations and local residents decorate trees, often with merchandise included with the decorations, to be auctioned at the fundraiser.

Solomon said that people bought about 270 tickets for the event.

The live auction of items - separate from the auction of trees - brought in $36,750, Solomon said.

A total of 24 items were auctioned including two separate photo safari packages for $8,000 each, as well as a fire pit and a smoker grill.

A special auction was also held to raise money for the matching funds needed for a grant the club hopes to make public soon.

Solomon said the grant money and matching funds will be used to make upgrades to the club's building. That auction netted about $23,665, Solomon said.

The tree submitted by the Bullhook Blossoms Garden Club won the people's choice, while the tree submitted by Triangle Communications brought in $2,300, the most from any of the trees that were auctioned off. It included a fire pit and a smoker grill.

Havre Ford was honored as the club's champion of youth for its four years of partnership on the Havre program, which allows the club to serve meals and snacks to club members.

Solomon said the program allowed the club to provide nearly 7,000 meals and snacks to club members in November and December of last year.

Solomon said that in addition to the matching funds, money raised from the festival will also go to making the building payment from the club's recent expansion and for programs that will allow the club to admit more children.