Deck the Trees brings ‘A Black Mountain Christmas’ to the Swannanoa Valley
Heating assistance holiday fundraiser grows in 11th year
Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
December 2, 2021
A year ago, as the pandemic tightened its grip on the world, the organizers of Deck the Trees were committed to finding a way to continue their fundraising efforts. Knowing that the economic impacts of the COVID-19 crisis would create greater needs, they developed a new format that featured 35 carefully decorated trees, displayed in the Monte Vista Hotel and in 20 businesses throughout the community.
The efforts of the volunteers behind Deck the Trees were rewarded, as the event raised a record-breaking $36,000 for the Swannanoa Valley Christian Ministry Fuel Fund, which provides heating assistance to area residents in need during the cold winter months. This holiday season, the local tradition is poised for its biggest year yet.
Forty-five Christmas trees, each adorned with creative design elements reflecting the theme of “A Black Mountain Christmas,” are on display through the month of December. The community can vote for their favorites by donating to the Fuel Fund. One dollar represents one vote, and those who view the trees can vote as many times, and for as many entries, as they please. Donations can be made by cash, check or by debit card using the QR code near each tree.
All of the entries, which are decorated by local businesses and community organizations, can be viewed on the Ministry’s website, at svcmblackmountain.org/deckthetrees, which offers an additional online donation option.
Deck the Trees has raised more than $150,000 for the SVCM Fuel Fund since its 2011 debut. The fundraiser, coordinated every year by a dedicated committee of volunteers, is sponsored by 17 businesses and citizens, including platinum sponsors Givens Highland Farms, Mark Kleive Renewing Smiles and Cheryl Keefer Fine Arts.
Twenty-one trees are on display throughout the Monte Vista Hotel, which has hosted the annual fundraiser since it began. Entries inside of the historic building include new designs by the Black Mountain Beautification Committee, which was voted by the judges as the tree that best represents the theme last year, and the Black Mountain Fire Department, which received the most votes from the public in 2020. Local Girl Scout Troop 2498, which received an honorable mention among entries in the hotel last year, returned to the competition with a new tree in 2021.
An additional 24 trees can be viewed at local businesses, including Kilwin’s Tyson Furniture, Mellie Mac’s Garden Shack, Herschel’s and as far west as Harley Davidson of Asheville, in Swannanoa. A complete list of participating businesses and entries can be found in the brochure linked here.
This year’s theme inspired a wide variety of creative interpretations, with businesses like Black Mountain Savings Bank, Tyson Furniture and Herschel’s reflecting the nostalgia of the holiday in the town. The Old Depot focused on the history of its building, which was the heart of Black Mountain during the height of railroad travel, while other entries, such as Mellie Mac's, highlighted the natural wonders of the region.
Buckeye Kennels, the runner-up for votes received in the Monte Vista a year ago, included an elaborate scene of a black bear getting into a garbage can to complement its intricately crafted paper mache dogs.
All of the money raised supports the SVCM Fuel Fund, which helps the Black Mountain-based nonprofit organization “bring warmth and comfort to your neighbors in need” through the coldest season. Heating assistance is the biggest expense for the majority of the people served by the Ministry, which has been helping Swannanoa Valley residents meet basic needs since its founding in 1975.
A gallery of the Deck the Trees entries, as of Dec. 2, can be viewed at the top of the page.