Community aids Kinderhaven
A couple of local youngsters had the opportunity to tell Santa what they want for Christmas during Kinderhaven’s Festival of Trees “Family Night” on Thursday at the Bonner County Fairgrounds. (Photo by MARY MALONE)
(Photo by MARY MALONE)A couple dozen themed Christmas trees dazzled community members during Kinderhaven’s Festival of Trees “Family Night” Thursday at the Bonner County Fairgrounds.
SANDPOINT — In traditional Festival of Trees fashion, this year’s event featured trees decked out in different themes such as “Don’t Stop Believing” in the spirit of Christmas, “A Christmas Story,” a man cave tree titled “Git ‘er Done,” as well as Monopoly, Seahawks and much more. Needless to say, there is a little something for everyone available when the trees are auctioned off on Saturday during the Kinderhaven’s Grand Gala event.
The Festival of Trees kicked off Thursday with “Family Night,” where the public was invited to eat cookies, drink hot cocoa, visit with Santa and, of course, see the many trees decorated and donated by businesses and organizations throughout the community. Jen Plummer, Kinderhaven executive director, said she and the others from Kinderhaven can’t express enough how much they love and appreciate those businesses and organizations, many of which donate a tree annually for the event.
“We are so blessed that so many businesses take care of us by doing a tree every year,” Plummer said.
One organization did a special tree for Kinderhaven, the purpose of which will be revealed during the Grand Gala event on Saturday, Plummer said.
The Festival of Trees is Kinderhaven’s biggest fundraiser, which helps the organization continue as a community nonprofit “dedicated to supporting children in crisis and giving them back their right to thrive by providing a safe, secure home in which their emotional, physical and mental well-being are protected and enriched,” according to its mission statement.
The organization, staffed 24 hours a day and open to children at a moment’s notice, functions as a group foster home and emergency shelter for children who have been removed from their home for their safety. There is no time limit on how long a child can stay at Kinderhaven, so some might stay two days, while others might stay for two years, depending on their situation.
“Kinderhaven is as busy as ever — 2018 has been the busiest year that I have experienced since I have been at Kinderhaven,” Plummer said, adding that she has been there five years. “So we have no doubt that the need is as vital as ever. Kinderhaven is absolutely a necessity for our local children in our community.”
The Festival of Trees continues today with a holiday luncheon at 11 a.m. As of Thursday evening, Plummer said a few tickets remained available for the luncheon. The luncheon will feature a silent auction with bidding from 11 a.m. until noon. Lunch will be served family style around 12:15 p.m. and the event will conclude by 1:30 p.m. Tickets are $50 and can be purchased online at kinderhavensandpoint.com. Saturday’s Grand Gala event is sold out.
Mary Malone can be reached by email at mmalone@bonnercountydailybee.com and follow her on Twitter @MaryDailyBee.