Festival of Trees supports residents with disabilities

Extravagant Christmas trees will be glittering with holiday cheer this weekend as part of Community Connections’ annual fundraiser at the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad depot.

“It’s kind of a gift back to the community; it’s a way we can help people into a festive spirit,” said Tara Kiene, president and CEO of Community Connections.

The 14th annual Festival of Trees is expected to raise about $20,000 for Community Connections, a nonprofit that serves about 250 children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities in the region, Kiene said.

Donations from the event help the nonprofit to be more creative and flexible in its programs. For example, it can pay for passes to the Durango Community Recreation Center for clients, materials for activities or a weekend of respite for families caring for someone with a disability, she said.

“We can use it where it’s most needed at the time,” she said.

Businesses sponsored and decorated about 20 trees for the event, and those who attend the festival can win decorations and other gifts.

There will also be food, musicians, dancers and scavenger hunts for kids and adults at the two-day event.

The free festival will be held from 1 to 6 p.m. Saturday at the Grange Event Center at the railroad depot. The trees will be on display until Jan. 2.

mshinn@durangoherald.com