There was a great turn out and lots of holiday joy had by all December 4 - 6 at the Festival of Trees benefiting Friends of Caroline Hospice.

Here are just a few statistics on all the fun that was had:

• 30 Trees were bought and donated to military families by generous individuals
• 50 military families participated in our military tree pick up
• 20 trees were donated by GRAYCO for military families who still needed a tree
• Over 500 school children attended to visit Santa
• Over 300 children entered the coloring giveaway
• 50 attendees participated in the social media scavenger Hunt
• 6 people got zen doing Yoga in the Trees
• 20 books were signed by Kami Khard
• 70 trees were sponsored and sold
• 250 people attended the opening gala
• 1,000 families attended the festival to admire all the beautiful trees
• 6 nursing homes received a donated tree
• 3 hospice patients were brought a fully decorated tree for their home
• 75 volunteers, 30 sponsors, 15 staff members and an entire community came together to put on this wonderful event

And now for all the tree decorating winners:

Best of Show – I’ll Have S’Mores

Decorator: Plum Productions

1^st Place Traditional – Bird – A- Full

Decorator: Penny Williams & Janet Thompson

2^nd Place Traditional – Beaufort Moose Lodge – The Family Fraternity

Decorator: Beaufort Moose Lodge

3^rd Place Traditional – For the Birds

Decorator: Festival Elves

1^st Place Whimsical – I’ll Have S’Mores

Decorator: Plum Productions

2^nd Place Whimsical – Dataw GRITS (Girls Raised in the South)

Decorator: Dataw GRITS

3^rd Place Whimsical – A Reel Christmas (Christmas Movies Through the Ages)

Decorator: Lindsay Baratelle

1^st Place Elementary – Elemental Forces

Decorator: Riverview Charter School

2^nd Place Elementary – RCS Core Values

Decorator: Riverview Charter School

1^st Place Secondary – Who-o-o’s Having a Merry Christmas

Decorator: Beaufort Middle 6^th Grade Environmental Science – Beaufort Soil & Water Conservation District

2^nd Place Secondary – The Fruit of the Spirit

Decorator: Community Bible Church

1^st Place Collegiate – USC Gamecocks

Decorator: Lorin Siegel

1^st Place Designer – Melissa Florence

2^nd Place Designer – M Home & Garden

Best Tree Honoring the Military – Patriotic

Decorator: Festival Elves

Most Patriotic – A Salute to Our Veterans, Past, Present & Future

Decorator: Ladies Auxillary Armvets

Best use of recycled Material – The “Litter” Green Christmas Tree

Decorator: “The Village People” of Port Royal

Most likely to melt – “Frosty”

Decorator: Lowcountry Insurance Services

Most Seuss-ical – “Zesty Stuff to Relish this Holiday Season”

Decorator: Picklejuice Productions

Best Memory Tree – Friends We Remember

Decorator: Alzheimer’s Family Services of Greater Beaufort

Best Representation of Business – The Marketing Tree

Decorator: Spectrum the Graphic Arts Center

Best Tree Skirt – A Bird’s Christmas

Decorator: Weezy Alcott

Best Lowcountry Theme – Liz O’Heron

Most Eye-Catching – Vintage Christmas

Decorator: The Red Door

Most Elegant – The Balance Group

Thank you to all sponsors: Butler (Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram), Sumter Utilities, Century Link, Modern Jewelers, Quality Electric Systems, KHOV Coosaw Point, CBC Bank, Schiller & Hamilton Law, Martin Landscaping, Thompson Builders, Bills Liquor, Ben Arnold Beverage Co., Southern Eagle, Pepsi Co, Picklejuice Productions, Plum Productions, Lowcountry Weekly, Eat Sleep Play Beaufort, 94.5 The Coast, Island News, Beaufort Lifestyle, Boundary Street Café, Susan DeLoach, Jasmina, New South, Johnson Creek Tavern, Upper Crust, Alvin Ords, Artizen Yoga, Wastepro, Dennys Appliances, Beekman Webb, Grayco, Laverne Gayles, and Doug Azar.