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January 24, 2017Texas County Memorial Hospital Hospice of Care is the beneficiary of $323.78 following this year’s Christmas tree contest hosted by D & L Florist in Houston.
Shari McCallister, owner of D&L Florist, hosts the contest annually by decorating numerous trees in her shop with various themes for Christmas. Visitors to the store are asked to vote on their favorite tree with money. One penny counts for one vote, and all of the funds collected go to TCMH Hospice of Care.
“Voting for a tree has become a family tradition for many,” McCallister said, explaining that grandchildren are brought in by their grandparents, mothers and daughters and groups of friends come in together.
The majority of the funds collected are small change, but many people vote with paper money, too.
“There are quite a few one dollar bills, and some large bills, too,” McCallister said.
McCallister noted that the fundraising effort is a giving opportunity for many people that might not be asked to give to a local charity on a regular basis.
“The Hospice of Care team took care of my father, Doyle Sillyman, and it’s an honor to be able to give back to them through this contest each year,” McCallister said.
McCallister said the “red bird and burlap tree” was the winner of the 2016 contest, garnering the most votes.
The funds collected will go into the Hospice of Care Fund managed by the TCMH Healthcare Foundation. The funds will be utilized locally to help provide end of life care for Hospice of Care patients and their families.
According to Jay Gentry, director of the TCMH Healthcare Foundation, the Christmas tree contest has raised $2,267 for Hospice of Care since the contest began in December 2007.
Shown here with the donation are (left to right), Courtney Owens, Hospice of Care director; Shari McCallister, D&L Florist owner, Sandy Eaton, Hospice nurse, and Jay Gentry, TCMH Healthcare Foundation director.