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Do IT this week: Layering
By Cheryl Powell
Beacon Journal medical writer
POSTED: 11:20 a.m. EST, Nov 18, 2009
Hundreds of pastel hearts carefully painted by 425 children at Woodford Elementary in Barberton dangle from a special Christmas tree in honor of two lost friends.
The candy-like hearts are adorned with reminders to ''Cherish Your Conversations.''
Hug me. Talk to me. Sing with me. Teach me. Laugh with me. Love me.
In 2007, schoolmate Cheyenne McCall died from leukemia. The following year, Joshua Metzger passed away three months after being diagnosed with a brain tumor.
Art teacher Lisa Griffith decided to have the school donate the tree to this year's Akron Children's Hospital Holiday Tree Festival as a therapeutic way for the students to remember Cheyenne and Joshua.
As part of the lesson, Griffith spoke about turning off the television and cherishing time with family and friends.
Some of the children's friends hid their faces in their art shirts as their eyes filled with tears while painting the hearts, Griffith said.
''But they were excited to work on it, too,'' she said.
Griffith and hundreds of other volunteers were busy Tuesday and Wednesday setting up and decorating more than 300 trees, wreaths, miniatures and other seasonal items in preparation for the 28th Akron Children's Hospital Holiday Tree Festival at the John S. Knight Center in downtown Akron.
Each tree tells a story, with many honoring lost friends or celebrating lives saved.
The decorated trees and other donated items on display will be available to purchase, with proceeds supporting Akron Children's patient-care programs, equipment purchases, medical research and education.
In the past 27 years, the Holiday Tree Festival has raised $3.5 million. Last year, the event netted nearly $200,000.
The annual fundraiser takes a year of planning and about 1,400 volunteers to pull together.
This year's festival features 134 full-sized decorated trees, 50 wreaths, 50 miniature trees and 100 other holiday decorations.
''They're all different,'' said Margie McDonnell, chairwoman of this year's festival. ''There are great themes.''
For Tammy Dragus of Mahoning County and her best friend, Robin Liggett of Suffield Township, decorating trees for the festival is an annual holiday tradition.
The duo worked with area businesses this year to donate three full-sized trees. Dragus also decorated a fourth miniature tree in honor of her mother, who died last year.
Dragus said she got started with the event a decade ago as a way to thank the hospital for caring for her now 12-year-old niece, Rachele Castner, who has spina bifida.
''She was most definitely the fuel that got this started,'' Dragus said. ''You never really appreciate Children's until yourself or someone you know has to be at the facility.''
The popular holiday event typically draws more than 200,000 people each year. Admission is free.
This year's festival opens at 10 a.m. Saturday and continues through Nov. 29.
Hours are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays. Special Thanksgiving hours are 2 to 6 p.m.
The community event also features choirs, orchestras, ensembles, pianists and other performers from throughout the region.
For more information about the festival, go to http://www.childrenshospitaltreefestival.org or call 330-543-8100.
Cheryl Powell can be reached at 330-996-3902 or chpowell@thebeaconjournal.com.
Hundreds of pastel hearts carefully painted by 425 children at Woodford Elementary in Barberton dangle from a special Christmas tree in honor of two lost friends.
The candy-like hearts are adorned with reminders to ''Cherish Your Conversations.''
Hug me. Talk to me. Sing with me. Teach me. Laugh with me. Love me.
In 2007, schoolmate Cheyenne McCall died from leukemia. The following year, Joshua Metzger passed away three months after being diagnosed with a brain tumor.
Art teacher Lisa Griffith decided to have the school donate the tree to this year's Akron Children's Hospital Holiday Tree Festival as a therapeutic way for the students to remember Cheyenne and Joshua.
As part of the lesson, Griffith spoke about turning off the television and cherishing time with family and friends.
Some of the children's friends hid their faces in their art shirts as their eyes filled with tears while painting the hearts, Griffith said.
''But they were excited to work on it, too,'' she said.
Griffith and hundreds of other volunteers were busy Tuesday and Wednesday setting up and decorating more than 300 trees, wreaths, miniatures and other seasonal items in preparation for the 28th Akron Children's Hospital Holiday Tree Festival at the John S. Knight Center in downtown Akron.
Each tree tells a story, with many honoring lost friends or celebrating lives saved.
The decorated trees and other donated items on display will be available to purchase, with proceeds supporting Akron Children's patient-care programs, equipment purchases, medical research and education.
In the past 27 years, the Holiday Tree Festival has raised $3.5 million. Last year, the event netted nearly $200,000.
The annual fundraiser takes a year of planning and about 1,400 volunteers to pull together.
This year's festival features 134 full-sized decorated trees, 50 wreaths, 50 miniature trees and 100 other holiday decorations.
''They're all different,'' said Margie McDonnell, chairwoman of this year's festival. ''There are great themes.''
For Tammy Dragus of Mahoning County and her best friend, Robin Liggett of Suffield Township, decorating trees for the festival is an annual holiday tradition.
The duo worked with area businesses this year to donate three full-sized trees. Dragus also decorated a fourth miniature tree in honor of her mother, who died last year.
Dragus said she got started with the event a decade ago as a way to thank the hospital for caring for her now 12-year-old niece, Rachele Castner, who has spina bifida.
''She was most definitely the fuel that got this started,'' Dragus said. ''You never really appreciate Children's until yourself or someone you know has to be at the facility.''
The popular holiday event typically draws more than 200,000 people each year. Admission is free.
This year's festival opens at 10 a.m. Saturday and continues through Nov. 29.
Hours are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays. Special Thanksgiving hours are 2 to 6 p.m.
The community event also features choirs, orchestras, ensembles, pianists and other performers from throughout the region.
For more information about the festival, go to http://www.childrenshospitaltreefestival.org or call 330-543-8100.
Cheryl Powell can be reached at 330-996-3902 or chpowell@thebeaconjournal.com.
Comments
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uniontown, oh
Posted 02:11 PM, 11/18/2009
What is a Holiday Tree? Do you mean Christmas Tree?
akron, oh
Posted 10:09 PM, 11/18/2009
Holiday Trees are great.
Akron, Oh
Posted 07:28 AM, 11/19/2009
Hey, I recognize her from Sunny Hills Golf Course!
Akron, OH
Posted 08:26 AM, 11/19/2009
Praise to the editor who allowed the "...dangle from a special Christmas tree..." phrase to make it into print!!! It IS a CHRISTMAS tree, after all!
Canal Fulton, Oh
Posted 12:27 PM, 11/19/2009
@Mack The Knife,
EXACTLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Im so sick of this,how we should phrase things anymore to be politically correct and not hurt anyones feelings!!
Back to the story tho,its neat how the kids all got to help with this project.Good deal..
