BECKLEY, WV (WOAY) – The Wonderland of Trees is back and bursting with artistry and color. A walk through this beautiful winter wonderland will leave you feeling festive.
“It started about 16 years ago, and we’ve been hosted by a lot of different locations — Crossroads Mall, Lewis Nissan. We were at the Summit Bechtel Reserve for a few years, and this is the first year we’re at Tamarack Marketplace,” said United Way of Southern West Virginia Executive Director Trena Dacal. “It’ll be a great location for people to come and visit and take a look at the trees.”
Forty-one organizations are participating, from churches to businesses and civic groups.
“I’m standing in front of one that is from Designs by Barb and James, a gorgeous tree. So it’s a varied cross-current of the community that provides the trees and all the decorations. Many of them come with additional value, like trips or gifts or gift cards,” Dacal said, adding that you can get a head start on your holiday shopping and decorating.
The Wonderland of Trees event kicks off on November 7 for businesses (After Hours) that RSVP only. The display opens to the public on Friday, November 8-22, with a live auction.
“If someone’s fallen in love with a tree they can come up on the 22nd, participate in the auction and take the tree home with them, (including) all the decorations and additional value,” said the executive director.
According to Dacal, this is one of her favorite events, and it helps explain what UWSWV does. Community members come together to support each other, and if you vote for one of the trees you’ll be entered into a drawing for a $500 gift card.
“Everything that’s raised through the Wonderland of Trees gets reinvested back into the community of southern West Virginia,” she said. “Right back into our community partners like food pantries and recovery programs, commissions on aging, and baby needs pantries. It’s a great event for the community to attend.”
TO LEARN MORE
https://unitedwayswv.org
