Best Trees At Lights of Kindness Fundraiser Selected

From The Anne Arundel South Rotary Club: The Rotary Club of South Anne Arundel County has announced the favorite trees selected in the Fourth Annual Lights of Kindness, a unique holiday tree decorating contest held at Homestead Gardens in Davidsonville last week.

The top three trees and their sponsors are: The Salvation Army, sponsored by NAI The Michael Companies, Inc; NAMI Anne Arundel County, sponsored by Hardscapes Construction; and Partners in Care, sponsored by the Davidsonville United Methodist Church Missions Team. See photos of the winning trees online.

The Rotary's goal for the Lights of Kindness event is to raise funds for charities, but also raise awareness of the efforts of sponsors and the charities to make our community a better place. To participate, businesses or other organizations decided on a charity to support, a level of sponsorship, and worked with a charity to decorate a tree.

The proceeds from Lights of Kindness benefit mostly local non-profit charities, including the South County Rotary Club’s Bountiful Backpack Program, currently providing food for over 160 elementary school children in South County. Other Rotary charitable projects include the Dictionary Project for third grade students; Haiti trade school education; the Rotary Youth Leadership Assembly; Rotary college scholarships and the Rotary Polio Plus program aimed at eradicating the disease.

The public toured the holiday forest at Homestead Gardens on Rt. 214 in Davidsonville to see the decorated trees and then voted for their favorite tree or noblest cause by contributing dollars for an equivalent number of votes or they may go online to vote. Every dollar voted counts as a donation that benefits a local charity. The whole community is encouraged to visit the display at Homestead Gardens, vote, and enjoy this family-oriented holiday event.

For every vote a tree receives, half of the proceeds will be donated to the designated Charity and half will be donated to the Rotary Club of South Anne Arundel County Charitable Foundation. The cash donations will be split among the Charities of the three decorated trees receiving the most votes. Past winners of the cash donation prizes have included Partners In Care of Anne Arundel County, the Court Appointed Special Advocates for the welfare of children, and Wreaths Across America.

Image Courtesy of The Rotary Club