Seattle, WA (OPENPRESS) December 7, 2010 -- A tree that included more than 1,000 donated toys fetched a whopping $50,000 at the 26th annual Providence O'Christmas Trees' gala dinner and auction, which supports healthcare, housing and hospice provided by Providence Health & Service's Senior and Community Services.
The annual event, held Dec. 1 at The Westin Seattle, brought Providence O'Christmas Trees' total fundraising effort for the year to $1 million, including in-kind donations. This matched 2009's fundraising amount.
Bidders captured the holiday spirit by offering thousands of dollars for each of the 16 trees up for auction. The top selling tree - "Eduardo Khawam's Toy Story," by designer Eduardo Khawam, sold for $50,000. Seattle developer David Sabey and businessman Tom DuBrul joined together to buy the tree, which was inspired by Disney-Pixar's Toy Story 3 and included more than 1,000 toys donated by Khawam's friends and family. Khawam said he was inspired to collect the toys by a trip he made to deliver cookies one Christmas Eve to a mountain top orphanage in Venezuela. "These tiny tots, who had nothing, were so joyful to receive the cookies we brought. It was a very emotional experience, one that will stay with me for the rest of my life," he said.
Following Khawam's example of charity, Sabey and DuBrul donated the tree to Providence Mount St. Vincent and most of the toys from the tree to Providence Regina House, which serves low-income adults and children in South Seattle.
Khawam's tree also won the People's Choice award at the Family Affair TreeView. "A Christmas Story to Remember," a tree designed by Cheryl Papadakis, won the People's Choice award at the Silver Bells Luncheon. It was purchased by PEMCO Insurance CEO Stan McNaughton and donated to Harborview Medical Center.
A record 850 guests attended the sold-out event, which has become Seattle's premier holiday gala of giving and generosity. Noted Seattle fashion designer Luly Yang served as Presenting Artist and donated a tree featuring a 30-piece couture collection of petite, Barbie-scale evening gowns that she designed. Her fashion show at the Silver Bells Luncheon helped draw a record 680 guests to that event.
KING-TV anchorman Dennis Bounds served as master of ceremonies of the gala.
Event chairs John and Diane Sabey, in an impassioned and touching message, urged guests to give generously to those less fortunate served by Providence Senior and Community Services. "Why support Providence?" Diane asked. "Every day Providence Senior and Community Services provides care to more than 12,000 people in King County alone." When state, federal and individual funding for services falls short, the rest must be raised by generous donors.
The enthusiastic crowd donated $146,000 to the Providence "It's a Wonderful Life Fund" to help support the programs that go above and beyond traditional care for those served by Providence Senior and Community Services.
Providence Health & Services is a not-for-profit organization and ministry of the Sisters of Providence that has provided health, housing and supportive care services for people in the Puget Sound area for 154 years. Funds raised at O'Christmas Trees will be used to enhance the lives of those in need through healthcare, housing and hospice. Programs and services include Providence ElderPlace, Heritage House at the Market, Providence Hospice of Seattle, Providence Home Services, Providence Marianwood, Providence Infusion and Pharmacy Services, Providence Supportive Housing and Providence Mount St. Vincent, all located in King County. For more information about Providence Senior and Community Services, go to www.providence.org/pscs
CONTACT:
Patricia Szabo, Director
Providence O'Christmas Trees
206-938-2788
patricia.szabo@providence.org
