Festival of Trees 2016: An Unprecedented Success!

Festival of Trees brought in over 2000 visitors (a new record) and REF grossed over $28,000 (another new record)! All profits from this fundraising event will go towards 2017  teacher grants benefiting Reading Public Schools.

We could not have done it without all the support from this community!

A special thank you to our Crystal event sponsors: Pamplemousse, RSM International, Reading Cooperative Bank, and Northern Bank & Trust. Another thank you to Joan P LLC, The Davidson-Dee Family Foundation, the Janowski Family, Yes for Reading, Mike Foley and the Parker Music Department for their sponsorship donations.

In addition, much appreciation to Sartell Electric for lighting, Bertucci’s in Reading for the Pizza and dinner fare, the Reading Rotary Club for manning popcorn and cotton candy sales, Professors Market and Subway of Reading for the delicious desserts, Lauren Bennett for our festive posters and logos, Reading Cooperative Bank for the water, Cube Smart Self Storage for keeping our supplies, the Reading/North Reading Chamber of Commerce for their time and support, all our wonderful volunteers–students and adults alike–and of course, our beloved Silent Auction & Tree donors (see a complete listing at the end of this post).

Lastly, heartfelt thanks to Creative Arts for the popular card-making activity, and for the wonderful performances by:  Harmony Jewels A Cappella Caroling; Karen K & the Jitterbugs; Ben Rudnick and Friends; Middle School Select Chorus; RMHS Select Chorus; Drop the Base (Coolidge A Capella Pop Group);Violins by Vivienne Langlois and Graham Hardin; and Eileen Litterio.

Check out highlights below!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tree Winners

Most Spectacular & Favorite Tree: Reading Education Foundation 

Most Unusual: Tin Bucket

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Most Creative: Lee Kimball & DKJ Foundation

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Best Youth Sport Tree: Reading Youth Field Hockey

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Best Tree Topper: Killam PTO

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Best Under Tree Display: Rocket Independent Video Club

Festival Goers & Winners

 

 

Cool Trees & Toppers

 

 

 

 

 

The Scene

 

 

See you next year!

Tree Donors

The Abruzzese Family, A World of Difference & Human Relations Advisory Committee, Aines Boutique, Alive & Well, Barile-Doherty Family Funeral Home, Barrows 4th Grade,  Junior Girl Scout Troop #85450, Bertucci’s of Reading, Boy Scout Troop 702, Burbank YMCA, Maria Casarano, Calvo-Bacci Family, Connect the Tots, Coolidge 7th Grade Learning Center, Coolidge Homeroom B2, Coolidge Music Department, Coolidge’s Team Voyager, Cordell Photography, Creative Arts, Cynda Rohmer & Debbie Boschetti, Elite Freestyle Karate, EMARC, Enchanted Dance Academy, Everything But the Dog, FRC Team 4761, Friends of Reading Recreation, Girls U-14 Soccer, Jacquie Carson & Family, Joshua Eaton Elementary School, Karen K & the Jitterbugs & Jitterbugs Music Classes, Kay Lash, Lee Kimball & DJK Foundation, Lisa Vouras DMD PC, Martha Salz, Mission of Deeds, Oils with Heart, Parker Music Department, Parker Peer Leaders, Parker’s Ms. Cristi’s Homeroom 111, Reading Cooperative Bank, Reading Education Foundation, Reading Girl Scouts, Reading Montessori School, Reading Pop Warner, Reading Public Library, Reading School Committee & Central Office, Reading School Nutrition Department, Reading Youth Field Hockey, Reading Youth Hockey, Reading Youth Lacrosse, Reading-North Reading Chamber of Commerce, RISE Preschool, RMHS Administration, RMHS Choral Department & Voice, RMHS Class of 2017, RMHS Class of 2020, RMHS Drama Club & PSST, RMHS Interact Club, RMHS Marching Band & Color Guard, RMHS PTO, RMLD, Rocket Independent Video Club, Samantha’s Harvest, Sanborn Place, Home Care & Day Center, Sartell Electrical Services, Saturday Night Lights, Sawyer Nursery School, Social Good, The Barrows PTO, The Birch Meadow Student Council, The Deharo Family, The Dumas & Bourque Families, The Flower Shoppe at Eric’s, The Gould Family, The Hilliard Family, The J.W. Killam PTO, The Lions Club, The Nichols, Wolter, & Wall Familes, The O’Neill Family, The Parker PTO, The Peirce Family, The Pine Ridge Neighborhood, The Residence at Pearl Street: Assistant Living, The Staff at Wood End, The Wood End PTO, Timothy J. Kelley, Attorney at Law, Tin Bucket, Venture Crew 410, Young Women’s League

Silent Auction Donors

A Friend of REF, Alan Gilburg, Bertucci’s of Reading, Bobbie Botticelli, Boston Bruins, Chocolate Truffle, Chris Wetmore, Cindy Canavan, Creative Spark Imagery, Davios, DiCara’s Deli, Douglass Edgerley & Bessom Funeral Home, Dynamic Sports, Emily Young, Hitching Post, Joe Fish of North Reading, Joshua Eaton PTO, Kelli Malone, Laschis, Mike Foley, Pamplemousse, Quanapowitt Players, Reading BPO, Reading Gymnastics, Sweet House of North Reading, The Downey & Schofield Families, The Downey Family, The Foley Family, The Kelley family, The Nelson & O’Neill Families