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DETROIT LAKES — In-person fundraising events like the Festival of Trees have long been an important part of the funding picture for the Lakes Crisis & Resource Center.
But for the past couple of years, like so many other charitable organizations across the country, the Detroit Lakes-based nonprofit has been forced to go virtual with the majority of its fundraising efforts. This past Friday, Nov. 18, however, the Festival of Trees took over Detroit Lakes' Historic Holmes Theatre Ballroom, with hundreds of guests lining up to view the 13 beautiful, uniquely-decorated trees that lit up the room with holiday spirit.
"It was a fun and festive evening, filled with beautifully created trees," said LCRC Executive Director Anna Sellin, adding that the fundraiser brought in $16,420 this year.
The live tree auction, in particular, was a huge success, as all of the 13 trees on offer sold for $200 or more, with one — "Dreaming of a Wild Christmas," which also won the evening's "People's Choice" award, voted on by festival guests — bringing in a whopping $2,000.
Together with Give to the Max Day, the online, statewide fundraiser that was held Thursday, Nov. 17, LCRC collected nearly $40,000 to support its programming for the coming year. "For Give to the Max Day, we were at $22,000 with our match from BTD," Sellin said. "I’d like to give a huge thank you to everyone who made Give to the Max Day donations, those who donated to and supported Festival of Trees, and all who attended.
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"The monies raised from these fundraisers enables us to continue providing outreach and support group services to students in area schools, fund our Kinship program to provide mentors to youth, and increase our capacity to serve victims," she added.
For more information about the Lakes Crisis & Resource Center and its programs, visit lakescrisis.com .
