On behalf of the Boothbay Region Garden Club, I would like to thank community members, the Boothbay Harbor Region Chamber of Commerce, Opera House staff, Boothbay Town Office and other organizations of the Boothbay region for making our 11th annual Festival of Trees the weekend of December 6, 7 and 8 a huge success.

Local businesses and other community members donated theme trees, auction items and gifts of money. The Mitten Tree, Pet Tree and trees decorated by youth groups will enable needy children and adults to have a happy holiday.

Garden Club members, under the able guidance of our co-chairmen, Alice Schambra and Leslie Cook, have worked their creative magic for a year to make this beautiful event come to fruition. In addition to the silent auction donations, patrons and sponsors and donated trees our members have worked enthusiastically and tirelessly to make and gather items for our five “shops” to sell.

All profits will enable us to continue our projects to maintain the Memorial Gardens at Boothbay Center and the Blue Star Memorial Marker, provide college scholarships, camperships, Boothbay Region Elementary School garden, wreaths and window boxes for public buildings, garden therapy at St. Andrews Village, and flower and landscape design classes.

Donors to the Silent Auction are: A Silver Lining, And Candy Too, Aura Hair Design, Bonnie Ginger, Boothbay Center Café, Boothbay Family Dentistry, Boothbay Harbor Framers, Boothbay Harbor Restaurant Group, Boothbay Railway Village, Boothbay Region Greenhouses, Boothbay Region Health and Wellness Foundation, Christmas Magic, Clear Stream Construction, Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, Conley’s Garden Center, Dulcie and Sweet Vess, East Boothbay General Store, Edgecomb Pottery, Eventide Specialties, Dr. Jay Andrews/Family Dentistry, Flagship Inn, Gleason Fine Art, Harbor Optical, Heads of the Harbor, House of Logan, J. Edwards Jewelry, MacDonald Stained Glass, Martha Cowdry, Massage Therapy/Rick Glide, Mr. C’s Food and Spirits, Mung Bean, Norma Scala, Oak Street Provisions, Peapod Jewelry, Red Cloak Haunted History Tours, Robinson’s Wharf, Rotary Club of Boothbay Harbor, Sheepscot River Pottery, Slick’s Boutique, Southport General Store, Southport Memorial Library, St. Andrews Auxiliary, Sweeney Ridge, The Collage and Two Salty Dogs.

Patrons and sponsors are: Bath Savings, Beauty Box, Bonnie’s A Cut Above, Coastal Maine Popcorn, Coco Vivo, Dan’s Auto Repair, E.M. Wood Construction, First Federal Savings, Hammond Lumber, J. Edward Knight, Janson’s Clothing, KeyBank, NA, Knickerbocker Group, Tindal and Callahan and Townsend Ent.

Donated trees: Boothbay Region Elementary School Garden Club, Boothbay Region High School Art Dept., Dolphin Mini Golf/Ice Cream Hut, Girl Scout Troop 1267, Martha Cowdery, Southport Central School, The First NA and YMCA Preschool/Pre-K.

Thank you also to Kevin Kiley for playing the piano so beautifully at our Sponsor’s Reception. Thanks to Kevin Kiley and Cathy Sherrill for decorating the Opera House so festively and Garden Club husbands for helping to set up and take down. Thanks to Kevin Burnham at the Register for great publicity.

What an unbelievable and appreciated group effort.