A silver mannequin tree, a winter white tree with blue accents and a turquoise tree topped with a Santa hat, lined the front of the room at Hearthstone at Wildwood causing a sea of smiles during the Festival of Trees event.
The event, held on Dec. 15 at the assisted living facility, was one of several fundraising events hosted by senior living facilities surrounding The Villages. It was a way for organizations to help raise funds for the holidays.
Sam Grow, the activities director for Hearthstone at Wildwood, said the fun and giving nature of the event attracts participation from residents and staff even on their day off.
Partners of the assisted living facility — including Pam Health Rehabilitation Hospital, Dignity Memorial Life Celebration Center and Arc Hospice and Palliative Care — participated in the event by donating one of the 16 trees bringing the forest to life.
The Villages Original Bellydancers decorated and donated the silver mannequin tree after doing a performance at the facility and learning about the fundraiser.
“The performance was so lovely and wonderful,” Grow said. “Then they saw our sign and wanted to do good, so they made and donated a tree. They made, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful trees. It’s made with one of the outfits they used to wear for performances.”
The event helped raise about $1,200 that will be donated to the Parkinson’s Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to researching a cure for Parkinson’s Disease.
Some of the funds will be used for the nonprofit’s Moving Day The Villages: A Walk for Parkinson’s event. That event is March 14 at The Villages Polo Club, 700 Buena Vista Blvd.
“We actually have some residents with Parkinson’s,” Grow said. “But the loved one of one resident works closely with this organization. We want to build that report because we see how much support the organization provides in resources for individuals with Parkinson’s.”
Like Hearthstone at Wildwood, several assisted living and senior living facilities surrounding The Villages hosted their own form of Festival of Trees events to help raise funds for nonprofits.
On Dec. 10, The Harrison at Wildwood hosted a wreath auction to raise money for the Wildwood Food Pantry, which is co-ran by the Wildwood United Methodist church and New Covenant United Methodist Church in The Villages.
Stephen Liebscher, divisional director of sales and marketing, said that $450 was raised from the sales of the handcrafted wreaths that were auctioned off during the event.
“It’s fun to watch residents and neighbors choose their favorite wreaths and see the bids come in,” he said. “Knowing that all of the proceeds goes to the Wildwood Food Pantry makes it even more meaningful. These kinds of gatherings show how people can come together in a simple, hands-on way to support their community.”
Watercrest Senior Living at Spanish Springs hung about 35 decorated wreaths for its annual Festival of Wreaths event on Dec. 10 at the facility.
Kayla Ramos, the resident lifestyle director for Watercrest Senior Living at Spanish Springs, said that nearly $400 was raised during the silent auction, with proceeds going to Wreaths Across America, a nonprofit that lays wreaths on the graves of veterans during the holidays.
“This is a time we can give back,” said Ramos. “A lot of our residents are veterans or widows of veterans and have spouses buried at national cemeteries. This will benefit them.”
With residents, staff and vendors all decorating and donating wreaths for the event, Ramos said the event also is a way to get residents moving their mind and body.
Staff writer Brea Jones can be reached at 352-753-1119, ext. 5414, or brea.jones@thevillagesmedia.com.
