The Register-Herald, Beckley, West Virginia

Editorials

November 15, 2009

Come visit Wonderland of Trees

United Way column

By Bill Baker

The United Way of Southern West Virginia 2009-10 campaign offers different ways to contribute. Several individuals contribute through payroll deductions at their place of employment, while others contribute directly by mailing their donations to The United Way of Southern WV, 129 Main St., Suite 409, P.O. Box 5456, Beckley, WV 25801.

We hope you contribute in one of these two ways.

Another way to contribute to the 2009-10 United Way campaign is through The Wonderland of Trees event under way at Crossroads Mall. Forty uniquely decorated Christmas trees are on display at the entrance to the mall in the former location of K&W; Cafeteria.

Each tree has a theme and is beautifully decorated. Businesses, churches and nonprofit organizations have paid $125 to sponsor a pre-lighted tree. Mall visitors can stop by, check out the trees and, for a $1 contribution to the United Way, vote for their favorite. The tree with the most votes by 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 19, will receive the People’s Choice award.

The Wonderland of Trees is open from noon to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday.

Richard Jarrell of Chick-fil-A in the Beckley Galleria on Eisenhower Drive participated in a similar event in another state and suggested that our United Way use this as a fundraiser. Richard says, “This is a fun event and a unique way to assist 29 agencies helping over 90,000 individuals in five southern West Virginia counties.”

Kathy Housh, manager of Crossroads Mall, has been overseeing this project from the beginning and has given a lot of leadership and effort to make the event a success.

This is a great opportunity to get in the holiday spirit by visiting the mall and voting on your favorite tree. Individuals who register and vote on a tree will become eligible to win a 32-inch, flat-screen Hitachi television donated by John Eye’s Big Sandy Superstore. The drawing for the television will be held Thursday at 6 p.m.

Trees will be previewed from 6 to 7 p.m. after the drawing and a live auction will begin at 7 at which every tree will be sold. There will also be a silent auction on several other valuable prizes that night. We hope to see you Thursday evening at the mall.

We are approaching a season that is unique to our country. At this time each year, we pause to be thankful for what we have and for how we have been blessed. The Wonderland of Trees offers us an opportunity to show our gratitude for our blessings by helping others through our participation in this event.

Make your contributions directly to the United Way of Southern West Virginia or through payroll deductions, but also join Richard, Kathy, campaign vice chair Roy Shrewsbury and me at the mall. Vote on a tree, purchase a tree and/or bid in the silent auction. This is how we can help those in need in our communities and this is how we LIVE UNITED!

— Bill Baker is executive director of the Jobs Foundation and the chair of the 2009-2010 United Way of Southern West Virginia fundraising campaign.

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