For more than 15 years, the Kiwanis Club of Dixon has offered a memory-making opportunity to children and families at the annual Festival of Trees, which will be on Dec. 13 this year. Photo by Debra Dingman

DIXON, CA (MPG) - For more than 15 years, the Kiwanis Club of Dixon has offered a memory-making opportunity to children and families at the club’s annual Festival of Trees. The trees are beautifully decorated and the club offers hot chocolate and cookies, plus a variety of entertainment to add to the charm. Hundreds come to visit and some buy trees that volunteer decorators carefully embellished.

This fundraiser is how Kiwanis Club can raise money to serve children and families in the community. Through the Key Club at Dixon High School, the Kiwanis Club encourages and teaches community leadership and volunteering.

Some of the organizations that Kiwanis helps serve are Dixon Family Services, Serenity Saddles, Kiwanis Family House, Dixon FFA, Montessori Science Camp, Solano Kitten Network, Cornerstone Church Food Pantry, John Knight Middle School Band, Tremont School and the Dixon Unified School District.

Local businesses, clubs and organizations help by “sponsoring” trees that will be sold at the event on Saturday, Dec. 13 at Dixon High School, 555 College Way. Prior year’s tree sponsors said that they were pleased with the publicity they received by sponsoring a tree to be decorated by Kiwanis volunteers. They range from 4-H groups to store employees to church groups. Some sponsors choose to trim their own tree.

All sponsors receive a large sign posted in front of the tree with the company or group name and logo as an “Official Tree Sponsor.” Each sponsor is also listed in the programs handed to every visitor, in newspaper press releases and in advertisements. The club is limited to 20 trees so call or email quickly to reserve your tree.

Tree sizes and sponsorship levels are an extra-large tree, seven-and-a-half feet, at $400; large tree at six feet at $300, medium tree at four feet at $200 and a table-top tree, about one to two feet at $100.

By pledging your support now, there is plenty of publicity for your business as well. How? It’s simple. Just decide the size of tree you want to sponsor and call, email or text the Kiwanis Club of Dixon. Contact Festival of Trees chair Patti Sousa-Liu at 707-635-3303, email [email protected] or send your check payable to Kiwanis Club of Dixon, P.O. Box 1602, Dixon, CA 95620.