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Carole Mikita Reporting The SouthTowne Expo Center has become a forest, once again this year...
Crowds have converged on the annual Festival of Trees, a fundraiser for Primary Children's Medical Center.
2006 marks the 36th anniversary of the Festival of Trees. Many of the trees have sold, there are some still available.
This year brought more large trees than ever; there are more than 700 of them, ranging in size from 18 inches to 10 feet tall. All of the money raised, from entry tickets to food sales, goes to Primary Children's Medical Center--which means that every child is treated whether or not his or her parents can afford health care.
The best part about visiting this festival is
discovering that each tree has a story to tell, often about experiences families have had at the hospital.
Edyth Hansen: "It's nice to be able to talk to some of those decorators and those families and find out why they're doing it, and to feel the love that they have."
This forest full of lights has many stories to tell, each tree lovingly decorated in honor of someone who touched many lives.
Abby was born premature and needed help at Primary Children's Medical Center. She's 18-months-old now and doing fine. Her tree has lots of trains.
Lisa's tree is bright and beautiful, just as she was, says her family. Mother of three, she lost her battle with breast cancer last June at age 36.
For the visitors, these paths passing the trees become moments of discovery...
Tristan Burkeey, Festival of Trees visitor: "I don't really know, but just everything that I look at is really cool..."
Many families make this an annual trek because their lives have been touched. Doug Payne's baby daughter swallowed a penny.
The festival chair is asking for volunteers. If you think you can donate a few hours, come to the SouthTowne Expo Center.
The festival continues through Saturday, open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
