Festival of the Trees…For the Love of a Child, part 2

I left you on Monday with three one word questions…

They were:  Messy?…Purposeful?…Rewarding?…

The answer to all three is “yes.”

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Leadership Education is effective, not efficient.

You may want to reread that…

It consumes time…

In rather large quantities…

But in the long run, when crisis, calamity or just plain old leadership void hits a situation, a nation, a continent…

It can not only be a time saver, but a freedom preserver, a life giver, a savior of the need at hand.

It pays priceless dividends on the investment given.

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We decorated for 8 1/2 hours that day.

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This is the first year that the Festival has had a “thematic guideline”…

Due to their 20th year anniversary and desire for some cohesiveness…

You had to chose a title or phrase from a Christmas song.

We went with “All I Want for Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth.”

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With the help of many we pulled ( sorry, couldn’t resist!) it off!

We loved that our tree represented community effort…

On the part of our pediatric dentist, Gary Okamoto, for supplies…

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A teacher friend, Susan Hill for taking all of our “toothless” photos of kindergarten through second graders…

Kathy Morris, who designed our tree topper, and could make bailing wire, a tube of toothpaste and a toothpick look like a million dollars…

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And last, but certainly not least, Tammie Blackmore, community leader extraordinaire…

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for roping us in encouraging us to participate and then securing us a spot in the design room!


Wow!…no pressure…

Take a look at some of these trees

Tammie's tree, Joy to the World

Tammie's tree, Joy to the World


and their surrounding “pens”equally decorated in many cases for thematic “ambiance”…

Let Heaven and Nature Sing

Let Heaven and Nature Sing

surrounding "ambiance' space for above tree

surrounding "ambiance' space for above tree

They judge the trees and award ribbons…

Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy

Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy

continued...

continued...

It's awards and accolades!

Its awards and accolades!

Rockin'..in a new old fashioned way...Elvis, Brenda Lee, Bobby Darin

Rockin'..in a new old fashioned way...Elvis, Brenda Lee, Bobby Darin

Then they host a gala evening that looks like this…

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And community leaders and residents attend the dinner and silent auction…

Santa Baby...

Santa Baby...

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And the neonatal unit raises money for specific items that are needed…

Let me say here that Americans are generous…

And benevolent…

One of the doctors that attended led out with a bid for $10,000…

for neonatal respirators that save lives…

they needed two.

With all of the recent villianization of the medical profession, I cried at the reality at hand…

There are great doctors…

That dedicate their lives and resources to people

They are people as well

Not institutions…

Or corporate machines…

The Night Before Christmas

The Night Before Christmas

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In 20 years, this event has raised $6,000,000 for the hospital.

Jingle Bell Rock

Jingle Bell Rock

Riverside County Regional Medical Center is one of the only county hospitals in the nation to run in the black…

Visions of Sugarplums

Visions of Sugarplums

Because people care…

Mele Kalikemaka

Mele Kalikimaka

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They lead…

The Nightmare Before Christmas

The Nightmare Before Christmas

By serving…

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Any community service plans in your schedule this holiday season?



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