Christmas tree auction benefits Paramount

Valerie Fothergill had visions of sugar plums, Tootsie Rolls and other candies dancing in her head while decorating a holiday tree for the fourth annual Festival of Trees benefit auction.

If you went and checked out the trees, let us know what you thought by commenting below.

“This is the single biggest benefit of the year,” said Tim Marceau, director of marketing for the theater. “There is some really big ticket, nice items this year.”

After attending the festival at the Paramount Theatre last year, Fothergill came up with a sweet idea and recruited her friend, Carol Boutwell, to help cover a tree. It took the women two hours to hang, drape and stuff caramels, coins and sweeties around the artificial arbor, topping it with a rock-candy star.

Their decorated tree was top choice by the theater’s board of directors, among the 25 decorated trees submitted by local individuals and organizations. The board chose 10 trees to be auctioned in the live auction and the other 15 will be up for bid in the silent auction.

“They just told me, I’m so excited,” Fothergill said Wednesday. “Everybody likes candy.”

Her tree is not the only sweet item for guests of the festival to take home with them. There is $35,000 in goods and services up for bid, ranging from an autographed Buddy Guy Fender Stratocaster guitar to a weekend away at Hawk Mountain Inn.

Last year 350 people attended the event, raising $30,000 for the theater. Advance admission is $10 and includes two drink tickets and hors d’oeuvres provided by The Palms and Constantino’s. Admission is $15 at the door. All proceeds go toward operating costs of the downtown theater.

“We need to have the Paramount,” said Fothergill, whose tree is registered under Sam Frank Inc. “This is a good way for the community to support the Paramount in a fun way.”

Join the crowd and take a chance on one of at least 100 items that cover a range of interests. There are a number of college basketball tickets up for grabs, autographed athletic jerseys and photos, a gift certificate to Café Provence, two tickets on Cape Air from Rutland to Boston, a Leo Kottke autographed 12-string guitar, four hours of design consultation with Jack McKernon and many more goodies.

The trees can be viewed by the public in the theater’s lobbies during business hours. There is no cost.

Call the Paramount Theatre Box Office at 775-0903 or go online to www.paramountlive.org for tickets.

Contact Sarah Hinckley at sarah.hinckley@rutlandherald.com.