Events: Arizona - Phoenix - Scottsdale

The Arizona Burn Foundation is gearing up for their signature event –  the Annual Holiday Festival of Trees on December 8th. Now in its 20th year, it has become one of the premiere Holiday-themed galas in the Valley. Next month the event returns to the JW Marriott Desert Ridge in Phoenix and the funds raised go to the burn survivor programs and prevention education initiatives provided by Arizona Burn Foundation. Established in 1967, the organization’s mission is to help families cope with the devastating physical and psychological effects of burn injuries and promote burn prevention advocacy and education in Arizona.

This year Arizona Burn Foundation will celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the Holiday Festival of Trees in grand style. A history wall, depicting stories and pictures from year’s past will be a prominent focal point of the event. Past chairs and executive directors have been invited to join this year and lead us in a celebratory toast to all those who have helped make the event so successful. We celebrate the past as we look to the future for the Arizona Burn Foundation.

The special guest speaker at this year’s gala will be Isabella McCune, a nine-year-old burn survivor. Valley residents will remember her injury last March from an accelerant being poured on a fire pit. Isabella was then visited by Taylor Swift in early May at the Arizona Burn Center, when Miss Swift was in town to perform. Isabella’s story of courage and strength through the long road of recovery  will inspire all. As her mother says: "Isabella is truly the strongest person I know. That's where I draw my strength from. She becomes aware during certain procedures and is able to give feedback if she needs pain medicine or a rest."

The annual Holiday Festival of Trees attracts renowned designers who decorate each live tree in spectacular fashion. The trees are then auctioned off to the highest bidder. A Silent Auction during the cocktail hour is also an option for guests to win a holiday-themed gift to take home. On the day after the auction, Sunday Dec. 9,  the decorated trees are individually shrink-wrapped and transported by Valley firefighters to the homes or offices of the buyers, where they are set up and donuts and coffee are served

Steve Taddie, the chair of the first Holiday Festival of Trees says, “Inaugural events are always challenging as you are seeking the embrace of the organization's board, sponsors that favor the organization's mission, and of course attendees, without which you can't have much of an event. Twenty years out, I think the Foundation has achieved that goal!”

For ticket information please visit https://azburn.org/holiday-festival-trees/ or call 602-230-2041.