Rockin’ at holiday tree auction

Marsha Lyski and Terry McVey had a year’s worth of work commutes between Snohomish and Seattle to think of every detail.

The task was a big one: choosing a theme for decorating a 7 1/2-foot artificial Christmas tree, part of this week’s annual Festival of Trees celebration in Everett.

A glance up at a 30-inch model of an electric guitar nestled in the tree’s branches all but strums out a hint of the rock ‘n’ roll theme she settled upon.

Other musical decorations hanging from the tree include miniature snare drums, microphones, keyboards, MP3 players, tambourines, guitars, black musical notes decorated with glitter, star-shaped sunglasses and even the old time black vinyl records known as 45s.

The “rock ‘n’ roll tree” is one of 20 decorated trees on display during a free open house today at Comcast Arena in Everett. The schedule of daylong events include choirs, dance performances, and musical groups. Children’s craft activities are scheduled from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

The open house is part of the 23rd annual celebration. An auction of the decorated trees and other fundraising events being held this week benefit Providence Children’s Center.

The center provides services to children born with medical conditions that affect growth and development, including autism, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome and other types of developmental delays.

Last year, one decorated tree went for $8,250, part of the overall $604,000 raised at the auction and other festival events, said Christina Greene, special events manager for Providence General Foundation, which helps organize the event.

The money is used to help provide services at Providence Children’s Center such as speech, occupational and physical therapy, and help from social workers, a special educator and dietitian. More than 1,100 children received services at the center last year.

“This is an event that we really want people to come to and enjoy,” said Margaret Bavasi of Everett, who with her husband Bob Bavasi, are volunteer leaders of this year’s event. “You won’t find this collection of Christmas spirit and the beautiful tradition of trees anywhere else.”

This year, some 150 volunteers worked on the tree-decorating event.

Among them is Barbara Richards, who has volunteered nearly every year since its inception. Back then, it was held in Floral Hall at Forest Park.

“In that small room, we were literally wall-to-wall people,” she said.

Richards, who is 77, said she still gets the same happy feeling every year she walks into the festival with its intricately decorated trees. “It’s so beautiful; so festive,” she said.

Bill Hanson of Marysville said that after seven years of volunteering, his wife, Elsie Hanson, doesn’t wait for someone to call and ask if they’ll help out again.

“Before they call us every year … she calls them,” he said.

Tanya McNeill and three other friends from Snohomish teamed up to create a tree decorated with miniature Japanese paper lanterns, a black Asian tea pot, jeweled dragonflies and maroon-and-black feathers.

The annual project allows the friends to combine their creative talents for a good cause, she said.

“We’re all mothers,” McNeill said. “Children are important.”

These and other friends joined together to help her in 2006 when she was battling breast cancer. “The ladies took care of me,” McNeill said.

“The spirit of these ladies is they’re always giving back and making sure that they take care of their friends and each other’s causes,” she said.

Reporter Sharon Salyer: 425-339-3486 or salyer@heraldnet.com.

Free open house

Here’s a list of events at today’s free community open house at the Festival of Trees at Comcast Arena, 2000 Hewitt Ave. in Everett.

Noon to 12:45 p.m.: Fairmont Elementary School Choir

1 p.m. to 1:45 p.m.: Everett Eagles Brass

2 p.m. to 2:45 p.m.: Arlington High School Jazz Choir

3 p.m. to 3:45 p.m.: Evergreen Middle School Choir

4 p.m. to 4:45 p.m.: Everett Chorale