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Fantasy tree festival reaches goal of $75,000
Published 11/23/2009 in Local News
By SHAJIA AHMAD
The twinkling of holiday-themed ornaments, elegantly-adorned Christmas trees and other donated and decorated items up for bid raked in just more than $75,000 for the Russell Child Development Center this weekend.
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Brad Nading/Telegram Rena Schwieterman, left, and Martha Royer are reflected in a mirror as they look over items for the live auction Saturday during the Russell Child development Center's Fantasy Tree Festival at the Clarion Inn.
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Brad Nading/Telegram Anthony Calderon, right, and Jessie Noble perform a selection with other members of the Garden City High School Modern Show Choir Saturday at the Clarion Inn during the annual RCDC Fantasy Tree Festival.
Organizers of this year's Fantasy Tree Festival were hoping to raise just that amount for their 23rd annual fundraiser to benefit RCDC's Tiny-K program, which serves children with a variety of special needs, including but not limited to prematurity, cerebral palsy or autism spectrum disorders.
At the silent auction and live event at the Clarion Inn, 1911 E. Kansas Ave., on Saturday night, bronze and silver-adorned trees decorated by volunteers, winter floral arrangements and mantle pieces, and holiday tableware lined the conference center's ballroom for live bidding.
Among the donated items from area businesses and individuals, faces of some of the children served by the area agency gazed back from small placards placed around the room.
Among the items, a seven-and-half- foot tree — The Cool Yule Tree — covered with snowmen, top hats, snowflakes and bulbs raked in more than $3,000 from one local donor. The tree was decorated by Kim Shaddix and Kristi Nordby and donated by Premier 4 Farms in Deerfield.
"We're really excited by the support we've been shown, which comes from all our 12 counties," Berry said. "The money is essential to funding salaries and goes directly back to continuing our operations and getting the job done."
In the wake of state-funded cuts in education, staff at the nonprofit organization that serves young children and their families in 12 southwest Kansas counties has been stretching their dollars to carry out services, said Lucie Crotts, a program development manager with Russell Child.
"For example, instead of being able to make weekly or bi-weekly home visits, we're having to spread them out to monthly visits sometimes, to keep our budget in line," she said.
A home visit during which a health care provider or staff member works with the personal development needs of a child cost the center between $300 and $350, she added, and the services are administered to area families at no cost.
Deanna Berry, the center's director, agreed that funding continues to be a long-term concern for staff to make its 330 contacts or visits with children on average per month. Berry said she already has lost two staff member positions — an occupational therapist and physical therapist — through attrition during the last year.
"It means our staff has a bigger case load. Of course, we're doing the best to maintain our level of services, but it's really affected the frequency with which our kids get seen," Berry said.
The center raised about $68,000 during last year's Fantasy Tree Festival.
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