About 200 attend Festival of Trees

CLOVIS - Saturday night, the Days Inn on Mabry Drive played host to a crowd of roughly 200 people at the eighth annual Festival of Trees. The event included an array of appetizers, drinks, desserts, and of course - an auction of beautifully decorated Christmas trees and wreaths.

The festival was in support of one important cause - raising money for the Hartley House.

Since 1979, the Hartley House has provided help to victims of domestic violence in Curry, Roosevelt and Quay counties. The organization offers shelter, a 24-hour crisis line and intervention, assistance in completing domestic violence orders of protection, as well as advocacy, support groups and educational services. That's all according to Mitchell Mender, a board member of The Hartley House.

Their goal, according to Mender, is to "ensure clients have the necessary tools to begin a life free from abuse."

Alisa Boyd and Lisa Howard of local craft boutique Salvage and Sparkle were some of the many contributors of Christmas décor for Saturday's auction. According to Boyd and Howard, the items they decorate are often donated by community members who find them when doing spring and summer cleanouts. Once the items are donated, the pair determine how to best decorate them.

"This year was difficult ... but we go with what we like," Howard said.

"We try to keep up with trends," Boyd said, "and then we (have to) dial it back a little bit."

The duo has been contributing to the festival for six years. This year marks the first year back since the pandemic interfered with last year's event. "We were heartbroken last year that we couldn't do one," Howard said.

After last year's hiatus, the donors weren't the only ones glad to do the event again.

"It was so great to be back in person with everybody," Mender said. "The Festival of Trees is our biggest fundraising event for the Hartley House, and so to be able to do it (...) in person, and kind of start off the holiday season (is) just exciting and it was a great event."

Throughout the night, a few of the items won were donated back by their purchasers, in order to be auctioned off again for more money. One such tree was decorated by the Hartley House staff. It was auctioned off three times.

The final purchaser, Kathy Elliott, said she bought that specific tree because of a personal connection to the Hartley House.

"The Hartley House, over 30 years ago, helped me out when I was in a domestic situation," Elliott said. "I ended up at the shelter. And the (Hartley House) helped me with some legal situations and put me and my sons in a safe place, as they do for so many other women."

Following this experience, Elliott joined the board of the Hartley House. She decided to give back to the shelter and community in order to help others in need, "because domestic violence is still out there, and this is an amazing awareness opportunity for the community."

Mender said Saturday's event raised more than $20,000.

Those interested in becoming involved with the Hartley House can visit their website - nmsvdv.org - or call the Clovis office at 575-762-0050.