Around Town: Festival of Trees heralds the holidays Around Town: Festival of Trees heralds the holidays (November 09, 2005)

By Jane Knoerle

Almanac Staff Writer

Jane Yates of Portola Valley, co-chair of the first Festival of Trees in 1983, is back again this year, serving for the fourth time as co-chair of the annual benefit for Achievekids, a nonprofit that helps austistic and emotionally challenged children and young adults.

Serving with her is Helen Leong of Atherton.

"Actually, we call ourselves co-coordinators because we have such a terrific committee that just takes over," says Ms. Yates, a founding member of the Peninsula Children's Auxiliary, which sponsors the event.

Festival of Trees will be held Wednesday and Thursday, November 16 and 17, at the Sheraton Palo Alto Hotel. The two-day event will include 30 professionally designed holiday table-top trees and holiday table settings offered through a drawing, auction or purchase.

There will be a boutique featuring gifts, gourmet food and decorations. Many theme gift baskets will be included in the silent auction.

The festival opens with a preview from 1:30 to 4 p.m. Wednesday, November 16, open to the public. General admission is $5 per person, $3 for seniors, and free for children under 12 and seniors over 65.

A holiday tribute party will take place from 6:30 to 10:30 p.m. Wednesday night with a champagne reception, buffet supper, informal modeling by Olivia of Los Altos, and music by Bill Kunz. The cost is $100 per person with reservations required.

A luncheon and fashion show takes place Thursday, November 17, with doors open at 10:30 a.m. The theme is "A Broadway Christmas" with fashions presented by Prestige and Cache.

There will be a drawing for the grand prize, where the winner will receive seven days in Paris in a luxury apartment, plus $1,500 in cash, and other goodies, including a barbecue for 25 by Armadillo Willy and a Chinese banquet for 10 from Chef Chu's of Los Altos. Cost of the luncheon is $75 per person with reservations required.

This year's festival is dedicated to the memory of Judi Beisler's mother, the late Janice Bullock. Ms. Bullock brought the idea of a festival to the Peninsula Children's Auxiliary back in 1982. She was involved in a similar festival back in Columbus, Ohio, and persuaded her daughter and Ms. Yates to come back to Columbus for a workshop on how to put on the event.

"It took us a year to work out all the details and put on our own festival," says Ms. Yates.

Of all the trees at the festival, Ms. Yates' favorite is the "Holiday Hugs" tree. After the festival, the tree is donated to the Lucile Salter Packard Children's Hospital. All of the stuffed toys on the tree are distributed to the children after their hospital holiday party. For children unable to attend, volunteers pull red wagons filled with the toys and deliver them to the rooms.

Ann Griffiths, a founding member of the Peninsula Children's Auxiliary, is honorary chairman of the event. Many of this year's committee members worked on the first Festival of Trees including: Judy Adams, Anita Brady, Sandy Galon, Barbara Radmacher and Stephanie Leong, all of Menlo Park; Inky Amoroso and Judi Beisler of Woodside; Mimi Breiner, Judy Lipman, Anne Lucas, Judy Morey, Jan Pieper, Zlata Postich, Ginny Kavanaugh and Sue Wilson of Portola Valley; and Patti Cavender and Cathy Wentz of Atherton.
INFORMATION

For more information and reservations, call 306-0462 or go to festivaloftrees.org.

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