Christmas Forest raises $533,000 for health care

This year’s Christmas Forest event raised more than half a million dollars for the Providence St. Peter Foundation to help poor and vulnerable people with their health care.

The 29th annual five-day event raised $533,000.

The annual event is the foundation’s largest fundraiser and community event, bringing in thousands of visitors to see the volunteer-decorated trees and wreaths, which are then auctioned off to help fund programs and services for Providence ministries in the Southwest Region, according to a news release.

The tree that sold for highest amount went for $15,500. It was a 9-foot NASCAR-themed tree that included a week of fun for four people at the NASCAR races in May at the Charlotte, North Carolina, Motor Speedway. Many of the trees and wreaths purchased are donated back to the community and are located in several areas of St. Peter Hospital, Mother Joseph’s Care Center, the Olympia Senior Center and Sunshine House.

More than $143,000 also was raised for this year’s fund-a-need, SoundCareKids, a children’s bereavement counseling program that offers compassion and healing to children who are experiencing emotional turmoil after losing someone close to them.

This story was originally published December 19, 2016 at 3:15 PM with the headline "Christmas Forest raises $533,000 for health care."