LAKE STEVENS—The Lake Stevens Community Food Bank raised a total of $100,000 from its, first ever, Festival of Trees fundraising event on Saturday, November 21. The money raised (which covers 20% of the food bank’s $500,000 annual operating budget) will go towards supporting the food bank at a time when food donations are down, but the need for food services in the region has been steadily increasing.
The fundraiser was divided into two events throughout the day; a free community event where anyone could attend, build gingerbread houses and ornaments, decorate cookies, and receive free items. Following this was a ticketed event during the evening which consisted of refreshments, hors d’oeuvres, and a ‘raise the paddle’ auction where guests could bid on 12 beautifully decorated trees. These trees were auctioned off from anywhere between $500 and $4,400.
“It was important to have the free community day because there’s really not a whole lot of things to do for Lake Stevens residents during the holidays that’s accessible, but also so that we weren’t just doing something where we’re spending money, we wanted to do the fundraising aspect as well,” said Lake Stevens Community Food Bank Executive Director Anthony Hawley.
In addition to the 12 trees for auction, 12 Christmas wreaths were decorated during the free community event and sold at the ticketed event.
10% of the $100,000 raised will go towards expenses for the two events, the food bank said.
Tickets for the auction went for $75 each with the food bank’s primary 13 sponsors receiving complementary tickets. Signature cocktails and wine were provided by Tipsy Trailer.
According to Jeanne Petershagen, approximately 200 people attended the free portion of the event where the food bank distributed 400 sugar cookies, 100 mini gingerbread houses, and 300 ornaments.
The highlight of the ticketed tree auction, Petershagen added, was the Snohomish Regional Fire and Rescue Chief Brian Park bidding $3,000 on a tree that is now displayed at the Monroe fire station.
“We were just blown away by the outpouring of community support,” Petershagen told the Lynnwood Times. “I was just phenomenal.”
The Lake Stevens Community Food bank has been hosting an Empty Bowls event for the last decade, where community members can purchase a beautiful, hand-crafted bowl, and enjoy an assortment of locally made soups and bread – typically in the month of October.
This was the first year the food bank launched a Festival of Trees event, however, and the first time the food bank has held a live auction.
The idea came from Lake Stevens Community Food Bank Board Member Christine Egelstad who was inspired by Providence Hospital’s Festival of Trees and nearby Skagit Regional Health Foundation’s fundraiser of the same name and concept.
The Food Bank’s sponsors had the first dibs at decorating a Christmas tree for auction but there was also a team of decorators on deck with a $500 decorating budget per tree. One of the people on the design team works professionally as a Christmas tree decorator for Burkett’s in Everett, who designed an additional 12 mini trees.
“I’m really grateful to our community for coming together and supporting this event, especially being a brand-new event and not knowing what would happen. I’m also really grateful for Christine and Jeanne for their idea and helping to bring it to life, in addition to the numerous community members who made this a success,” said Executive Director Hawley.
Hawley shared a funny story about the event where, just five minutes before the auction, a food bank staff member asked ‘what happens if nobody bids on the trees’ to which, he replied that they never even considered that. Lucky for the food bank, however, expectations were shattered with the overwhelming support, especially an anonymous $10,000 match that helped people feel more generous.
Separate to the Festival of Trees, the Lake Stevens Community Food Bank held a donation-based Santa photos event on Friday, December 5. The food bank made $500 from this event but, even though it was a fundraiser at heart, it was mainly intended as an accessible service to the community because, as Executive Director Hawley put it, “Santa photos can be expensive.”
The food bank also holds two annual fundraising Bunko nights a year – one in February, one in May.
The Lake Stevens Community Food Bank opened its new 10,000 square foot facility in June of 2023, after 45 years operating in the 900 square foot basement of the Ebenezer Lutheran Church.
The Lake Stevens Community Food Bank is a zero-barrier food bank, meaning one doesn’t have to prove anything to use its services. In addition to providing food, there is a teaching kitchen courtesy of the Lake Steven’s Rotary Club that is used to teach residents how to cook nutritious meals.
The building also offers FEMA emergency shelters for community members complete with showers, offering other services such as connecting people with housing and behavioral services to partners like Volunteers of America located at the site’s new Community Resource Center. The location will also offer basic household cleaning supplies and hygiene essentials.
The Lake Stevens Community Food bank serves approximately 4,000 residents each month.
Author: Kienan Briscoe
