Festival of Trees: Annual fund-raiser is a labor of love

OREM — Carol Lavender is at the after-Christmas sales bright and early each year collecting materials for her next Festival of Trees tree.

She knows the early bird gets the best stuff.

Lavender is the faculty adviser to the student nurse association at Utah Valley State College and has overseen the creation of a festival tree for six years.

"This last January, I got a tree for 75 percent off. I got clear balls that we'll stuff with tinsels and star shapes wrapped in wire. I found a bear with a nurse's hat to put under the tree," Lavender said.

Lavender said the association was looking for a service project when it decided to sponsor a tree in the annual fund-raising event for Primary Children's Medical Center. The students collect money and generally provide Lavender $1,000 to buy what she needs. She comes up with the theme and gathers the materials, and the students then come over for decorating duty and pizza one weekend prior to the festival.

"Last year we did an 'Angels of Mercy' tree," she said.

Rosemarie Dunn, whose husband manages the Big O Tires store in Spanish Fork, persuaded the corporation to sponsor a tree, which is assembled in her garage.

"My mother-in-law helps. We go to sales and buy ornaments and a tree. We work on additional toys and things for under the tree. I have just always loved it. It's just such a good cause," she said.

The first year, they found tiny inner tubes to use as ornaments, a huge hit for a tree sponsored by a tire company.

"I don't think we can top that," Dunn said.

The next year, the tree was dedicated to her husband's grandfather, Stewart Dunn, who died of leukemia during the year.

"It was a really neat tribute to him from our family."

LaRae Larsen of Pleasant Grove has decorated trees for 31 years. This year, her tree is set on a lightweight deck with a rocking chair, featuring a swing and movable teeter-totter, along with hundreds of rag dolls of various sizes. It is dedicated to her daughter,

Theresa, who spent five of her eight months of life at Primary Children's Medical Center and to her granddaughter, Saria. Saria is 18 months and has also spent much of her young life at the center.