The Garfield Memorial Health Care Foundation’s eighth annual Festival of Trees took place November 14-16 at the fair building in Panguitch. Keeping with a tradition begun last year, organizers invited each high school in Piute and Garfield counties to contribute trees.
It wasn’t difficult for Piute and Bryce Valley to get their trees finished in time for the festival. Both schools put the student council in charge of obtaining decorations and putting the tree together.
Piute student council decided to take on the tree decorating themselves and get help from local businesses to buy materials.
“We decorated it for two nights in a row,” said Kamren Gayler, Piute’s student body president. “We picked up decorations and got sponsors from local businesses.” These included Stan’s Market, Tri-Mart, Nate’s Place, and State Bank of Southern Utah.
The six girls in Piute’s student council then settled on a “letters to Santa” theme, with notes covering the tree and a mailbox in the center. Their efficient decorating process was accompanied by cheery Christmas music and just having a lot of fun together.
“We’re all really big Christmas fans,” said Kamren, who said her favorite part was laughing with her council as they decorated.
Though Bryce Valley’s student council also headed up the decorating committee, they put the student body to work making decorations.
“The student body helped us paint trains to decorate the tree,” said Ferrin Mathews, Bryce Valley’s student body president. “They also made mini hot cocoa cups and made little reindeer for decorations.”
Bryce Valley had decided on a Polar Express theme, reminiscent of previous years’ traditions to watch the movie before the students separated for Christmas break.
Like Piute’s student council, Ferrin and his four specialized vice presidents enjoyed the collaborative project. “I loved that the student body and executive council could come together and help create a beautiful tree,” said Ferrin, “and have fun doing so.”
Panguitch and Escalante’s trees were each candy themed. Candy canes from the Panguitch seniors decked out the first. And red and white lollipops with gingerbread garlands covered the other.
Throughout the three-day festival, 19 ornate Christmas trees stood on display, and various classes and activities went on as well. Saturday the festival wrapped up with a program and a live Christmas tree auction to benefit Garfield Memorial Hospital, raising funds for expanded services and equipment in Piute and Garfield counties.
This year the festival made close to ten thousand dollars on the trees, Santa’s workshop, and the raffle. Monica Taylor’s Santa tree with a train going round it went for the highest bid amount at $850, followed by the Monica’s pink tree (decorated for her sister who was recently diagnosed with breast cancer), and Karla Owens’ “funny farm” tree with spotted cow ribbons and a nesting chicken on top.
When I spoke with Piute’s student body president on Friday, she was looking forward to helping the hospital and seeing how much their tree brought in from the auction. Collectively the high school trees contributed almost $2,000 to the $10,000 total for Garfield Memorial Hospital.
“We’re super excited to give back to Garfield County for everything that they do for the surrounding towns,” Kamren said.
– by Abbie Call
Feature image caption: Bryce Valley Student Body President Ferrin Mathews and the rest of his council at the Festival of Trees on November 14.
Read more about the festival of trees in Festival of Trees: A Miracle the Community All Does Together.
Abbie Call – Cannonville/Kirksville, Missouri
Abbie Call is a journalist and editor at The Byway. She graduated in 2022 with a bachelor’s degree in editing and publishing from Brigham Young University. Her favorite topics to write about include anything local, Utah’s megadrought, and mental health and meaning in life. In her free time, she enjoys reading, hanging out with family, quilting and hiking.
Find Abbie on Threads @abbieb.call or contact her at [email protected].