An unexpected Amazon delivery got Ken Waters and Wendy Greathouse involved in their first Holiday Tree Festival in Akron about five years ago.
The company accidentally sent them a large Little Tikes dump truck designed for children to ride in. When they contacted Amazon, the couple were told it would cost too much to ship the toy back.
“They said, ‘That’s really expensive to ship. Why don’t you just keep it?’” Waters said.
So Greathouse and Waters turned the unexpected delivery into a transportation-themed Christmas tree featuring the dump truck. “And then we were hooked ever since then,” Waters said.
Their tree is one of more than 150 that will be on display at the 45th annual Akron Children’s Holiday Tree Festival, which raises money for Akron Children’s hospital programs and services.
The free festival opens to the public Saturday, Nov. 14, at 10 a.m. and runs through Nov. 22 at the John S. Knight Center.
This year’s tree, which Waters and Greathouse named “Cat-astrophic,” is inspired by their cat, Tallulah, and features stuffed cats hanging from its branches.
The couple also wants to support the hospital where their daughter received care for 22 years before transitioning to adult care.
‘We just think it’s a fun thing to do with Children’s hospital. They’ve always been there for us when our daughter was really ill, and we want to give back,’ Greathouse said.
Trees, wreaths and holiday fun for the whole family
“A lot of the trees are dedicated to children who were cared for in the hospital,” said Susan Berk, chair of the Holiday Tree Festival. The fundraiser began in 1982 with 15 women who volunteered with the hospital. Berk said she’s amazed by how much it has grown and how volunteers continue to find new ways to contribute.
In addition to the trees, 500 volunteers help organize the event and, this year, create 84 wreaths and 179 holiday gifts. Items that don’t sell during a preview gala Friday evening will be available for purchase during the public festival.
Children can enjoy activities such as coloring pages and writing letters to Santa. The festival will also feature musical performances and visits from Santa.
“It’s a full family experience,” Berk said. A full schedule is available on the Akron Children’s website.
Funds go toward the hospital’s greatest needs
Proceeds first go toward covering the costs of organizing the event and keeping admission free. The remaining money goes to Akron Children’s, where festival organizers work with hospital leadership to identify funding needs.
“We chat with the CEO, Christopher Gessner, about where’s the area of greatest need,” Berk said. “So we’re able to direct the money to a project that hasn’t been fully funded or they’d like to fund or something that exists already that we need more of.”
Over the past two years, festival proceeds have helped fund Abridge, an artificial intelligence platform that helps doctors document patient visits.
“It’s been a game changer for the doctors and the nurses in the hospital,” she said. “We’re very proud to be able to give the money back that way because that benefits the children.”
Remembering a son, raising awareness about autism
Cosmic stars and a rocket ship are nestled among the branches of a black Christmas tree that stands among others inside the Knight Center.
Kelly Benjamin created the space-themed tree in memory of her son, Drew, who was 2 ½ when he died in 2013.
Drew had autism and wandered away, which led to him drowning, Benjamin said. When the family began participating in the festival, they made posters to raise awareness about the risks of wandering, which she said is “a big thing for autistic kids.”
Since then, Benjamin, who lives in Norton, has found different ways at the festival to tell Drew’s story, including a tree inspired by his favorite cartoon, “Yo Gabba Gabba,” and another decorated with dragonflies, inspired by a poem about people who have passed away.
“It feels good every year we do the tree as we’re thinking of my grandson because it’s in honor of him,” said Benjamin’s mother, Kim Schwiegershausen.
A yearly tribute brings family together
The Holiday Tree Festival has become a family tradition for Alexandra Ellesin, who has decorated a tree in memory of her two sons for 26 years.
Ellesin, 66, of Alliance, began participating in the festival in 2000, the year she lost her two sons, Alex, 3, and Zeff, 5, in a car accident.
“That’s what got me here and coming,” she said. “I said, this is something me and my family could do every year for the boys.”
Over the years, the family has decorated trees with different themes, including angels, polar bears and toys. This year, Ellesin is keeping a classic Christmas theme with bells and golden bows.
Her other children grew up volunteering, and the festival has given the family a chance to reconnect with volunteers who return every year.
“It’s a great atmosphere,” Ellesin said. “It’s great to see people that have the same goals in common.”
Dispatchers turn teamwork into holiday cheer
Dispatchers from South Summit Dispatch Center, which serves five communities in Southern Summit County with emergency communications, have been decorating a tree for the festival for the past five years. This year’s theme, “Carol of the Bells,” brought the group together for a full day of decorating.
“It puts me in the Christmas spirit,” said dispatcher Nikki Hays.
The tree features oversized gold bells, musical sheet decorations and glittering ornaments in bronze, teal and cream, with frosted branches and layers of ribbon.
About 20 dispatchers contribute ideas and raise money at work to buy decorations and assemble the tree. They also visit the festival together, take pictures of their tree and share them with coworkers who couldn’t attend. Some team members live farther away, including in New Philadelphia, but still try to make the trip.
“People support first responders, and this is our way of giving back because they support us,” said Melissa Blair. “It’s a tough field.”
