Deck the Trees celebrates ‘rockin’’ record year

Annual holiday fundraiser collects nearly $78,000 for SVCM Fuel Fund

Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
January 5, 2024

Deck the Trees raised a record $78,000 in its 13th year, as the entry from Kilwin’s was named the tree most representative of the “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” theme in the Monte Vista Hotel. Photo by Fred McCormick

Each year, when the days are still long and the sun is bright, a local group of dedicated volunteers begins contemplating the hardships many of their neighbors will face in the cold, dark winter ahead. The mission of the 10-person committee is the same every holiday season: provide figurative and literal warmth for residents of Black Mountain, Swannanoa and surrounding areas.

As Deck the Trees concluded its 13th year in the Monte Vista Hotel, Jan. 2, participants celebrated another record-breaking campaign, which raised approximately $78,000 to support the Swannanoa Valley Christian Ministry Fuel Fund.

Forty-three entries from local businesses and community organizations, each decorated to coincide with the theme, “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” were featured in the 2023 display, which allowed observers to vote for their favorites through cash donations to the nonprofit organization’s heating assistance program. Sponsored by 20 businesses and private donors, the event eclipsed its fundraising totals for the 11th consecutive year.

“It’s stunning,” committee chair Libba Fairleigh said of the success of the annual initiative. “I really don’t know any other word for it.”

Deck the Trees debuted as an informal art exhibit in 2011, before organizers recognized the event’s potential to help local residents struggling to manage steadily rising energy costs.

“We didn’t raise very much the first couple of years, but we altered the structure and created an annual gala in 2015,” said Fairleigh, who has served as the chair of the organizing committee since the debut of the fundraiser. “That year we brought in around $6,300 and doubled that in 2016.”

An entry from the Town of Black Mountain was named one of two that best represented the theme of the 2023 Deck the Trees fundraiser, benefitting the Swannanoa Valley Christian Ministry. Photo by Fred McCormick

Momentum continued to build in the subsequent years, as donations exceeded $25,000 in 2017. As of 2023, Deck the Trees has raised a total of more than $330,000 for the SVCM Fuel Fund.

“The generosity of this community never ceases to amaze me,” Fairleigh said. “It’s amazing to live in such a great place that sees neighbors with a need and responds to that need.”

That need is only growing, as the SVCM is now assisting approximately one of every six Swannanoa Valley residents, according to executive director Kevin Bates.

“The Ministry served around 2,400 people from 1,100 households in Black Mountain, Swannanoa and surrounding areas last year,” he said. “That assistance includes food, clothing and household goods, while the largest part of what we do focuses on direct financial assistance for things like utilities, gasoline for transportation, bus fare and medical assistance.”

The nonprofit organization’s Fuel Fund, which assists clients through the winter months, distributed $96,000 in 2022 and $156,000 in 2023, when nearly 400 area households received heating assistance from the program, according to Bates.

“This particular fund is critical for people on fixed incomes, especially homes with children and the elderly,” the director said. “Without Deck the Trees, we wouldn’t be able to help even half of the people we do through the Fuel Fund, so the generosity of the community and the hard work of the volunteers who organize it are incredibly important to us.”

The committee set the bar high this year, according to Fairleigh.

Of the 23 trees displayed in the Monte Vista Hotel for the 13th Annual Deck the Trees fundraiser, an entry by the Black Mountain Beautification Committee received the most votes through donations. Photo by Fred McCormick

“Every cent we raise translates to care for people in the community,” she said. “We knew the need was increasing this year, so we were relying on the kindness of our sponsors and the public. We’re fortunate to live in such a caring community."

Twenty-three trees were displayed in the Monte Vista Hotel through December, while an additional 22 were located at various locations throughout the Swannanoa Valley. An entry from Kilwin’s was recognized by a panel of judges as the tree most representative of the theme, while the Town of Black Mountain earned the distinction among the displays in the community.

A Christmas tree decorated by the staff of Sassafras was one of four entries recognized by Deck the Trees, which raised $78,000 for the Swannanoa Valley Christian Ministry Fuel Fund in its 13th year. Photo by Fred McCormick

The trees that received the most votes belonged to Sassafras and the Black Mountain Beautification Committee.

“Everyone is a winner as far as we’re concerned,” Fairleigh said. “All of the trees were so creative and I think a lot of people really enjoyed seeing all the unique interpretations of the theme.”

Three of the 43 participating businesses and organizations — the Swannanoa Valley Fine Arts League, the Tatting Tree (formerly Thread Bears) and the Monte Vista Hotel — have been part of the fundraiser since it began, while Chifferobe has submitted an entry in every year but one.

The partnerships represent another example of the community’s “heartwarming” response to the needs of neighbors, according to Fairleigh.

“We have so many people who have supported this for so long, including the Monte Vista, which has hosted this since the very first year,” she said. “The hotel is a big part of what makes Deck the Trees special, and their hospitality has played a key role in the continued success of this event. We’re incredibly grateful for the support of the hotel and its incredible staff.”