Seattle Festival of Trees Update - September 2018

Patient Profile - Bretton.

​Bretton is 18 years old and an avid hockey player. In 2015, he broke his right ankle in a longboarding accident and spent almost six weeks in a wheelchair, followed by months on crutches. But eventually, the ankle healed and he was cleared to return to his beloved sport of competitive ice hockey. 

​Unfortunately, in the spring of 2016, as he began a typical hockey season, Bretton began to experience pain and swelling in the previously injured right ankle. An appointment was scheduled with the Orthopedic and Sports Medicine team at Seattle Children’s Hospital. An MRI of the ankle was ordered in hopes of expediting Bretton’s return to the ice for hockey season. Doctors initially suspected a bone infection, but a bone biopsy two days later provided devastating news. Bretton was diagnosed with osteosarcoma in the heel of his right foot. Osteosarcoma is an aggressive bone cancer that most often occurs in children and young adults.

​Bretton’s treatment included ten weeks of chemotherapy followed by the amputation of his lower right leg.  Twenty additional weeks of chemotherapy followed his surgery. He was subsequently fitted with a prosthesis for his lower leg and wears custom fitted skates on the hockey rink. His prosthesis and practice shirt read, “PUCK CANCER.”

​Bretton’s cancer is now in remission, and he is back to playing ice hockey; when he was first diagnosed with cancer, he thought he’d never skate again. Today, his mission is to share his love of hockey with others, along with hopes to one day help bring a national hockey team to Seattle.

​In February of this year, Bretton was awarded the Wayne Gittinger Inspirational Award at the 83rd annual MTR Western Sports Star of the Year celebration, created by Royal Brougham and the Seattle P-I in 1936. The Gittinger Award is presented annually to an inspirational young athlete who has overcome major medical obstacles to inspire others.

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Contribute to the SFOT Silent Auction

A special feature ahead of this year’s Seattle Festival of Trees (SFOT) is the Silent Auction Registry List!  Many supporters have already chosen auction items to add to baskets that will be featured for sale at a number of events throughout the celebration.

The Registry List makes it easy for patrons and supporters to donate items via a gift registry.  Supporters are asked to follow these easy steps:

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1. Go to the Amazon SFOT registry
   
2. Registry List items are shown on the right side of the page, featuring everything from children’s books to espresso machines to snack items.
3. Select any item(s) and add it to your cart.
   
4. Follow through with payment via Amazon.  The items you select will automatically choose the SFOT shipping address to the event’s warehouse.  
5. The warehouse team will assemble these items into Silent Auction gift baskets.
6. Any item(s) you select will be removed from the Registry List and you will receive a follow-up letter confirming your donation

This is an early and special way to show your support for the Seattle Festival of Trees!  Many thanks to all who have participated and donated to this great cause!

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Get Your Tree Today!

A total of 23 designer trees have been created for this year’s Seattle Festival of Trees (SFOT) by the talented members of the SFOT Guild.  All of these gorgeous trees will be available for viewing from November 17 - December 2 in the Fairmont Olympic Hotel in downtown Seattle.  While the trees are already available for purchase online, they are going fast!  Early tree purchasers through September include:

A Charley Brown Christmas - The Retirement Solutions
Celebrate the Good Times - Brewe Layman P.S.
Christmas in the Northwest - ZGF     
Crystal Christmas - Tom and Carol Fleck
Evergreen Holiday Shine - Weyerhaeuser
Let It Snow - Aviation Partners                 
March of the Penguins - Ann Johnson                   
Oh Deer! - Pinnacle Living
Peppermint Snowmen - Myra McCoy                             
Santa Claus Drag Race - William Lile Gowen    
Snowball Fight - Roger and Brooke Kuula Anderson
Sparkle, Spangle & Shine - Goodman Real Estate  
Viva La Chocolate - CDK Global        
Winter Elegance - Linda Kuula

The following trees are still available for purchase online:

• Angelic Christmas    
• The Great Outdoors
• Ho Ho Ho!
• Holiday Glamour & Glitz
• Holidays for Harry
• Home for the Holidays
• Movies, Anyone?
• Not a Creature was Stirring
• Sante! !Salud! Cheers!    

On Sunday, November 18, at the annual SFOT Celebration, one beautiful designer tree, Christmas Cheer, will be raffled. The tree will be delivered to the winner's home or business on Monday, December 3.  Raffle tickets are priced at $10, and purchasers need not be present to win.  Proceeds from the raffle will benefit research at Seattle Children’s Hospital.

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Sponsorship Update

The annual Seattle Festival of Trees (SFOT) provides a great opportunity for individuals and corporations to support this event’s primary goals:  to raise funds for the hospital’s Uncompensated Care Fund (allowing all families to receive care despite their ability to pay) and to raise funds for the hospital’s Autism Center.  We thank the following individuals and corporations who have already made monetary commitments at the following levels:

PLATINUM LEVEL  ($20,000)

• Bungie, Inc. - Bellevue, Washington
  

GOLD LEVEL               ($15,000)

• The John Goodman Foundation - Seattle, Washington
• Sequoyah Electric - Redmond, Washington

SILVER LEVEL           ($10,000)

• Baird Private Wealth Mgmt - Seattle, Washington
• Microsoft Corporation - Redmond, Washington
• Patrick and Amy Schlight - Seattle, Washington
• Wold Enterprises / Nautical Landing Marina - Seattle, Washington
• ZGF Architects - Seattle, Washington

EVERGREEN LEVEL          ($3,000)

• Acura of Bellevue - Bellevue, Washington
• Badgley Phelps Wealth Managers/J. Kevin Callaghan - Seattle, Washington
• Best Plumbing - Seattle, Washington
• CKC (Cary Kopczynski & Co.) - Bellevue, Washington
• William “Lile” Gowen - Seattle, Washington
• HAILCO - Denver, Colorado
• Theresa and Patrick Harvey - Seattle, Washington
• Lynnwood Honda - Lynnwood, Washington
• N C Machinery - Seattle, Washington
• John L Scott Foundation - Bellevue, Washington
• Seattle Gourmet Foods - Seattle, Washington

MUSEUM OF FLIGHT TREE       ($8,000 combined)

• Raisbeck Engineering - Seattle, Washington
• Robbi and Doug DeVries - Bothell, Washington

MEDIA SPONSORS

• KING 5 – Seattle, Washington
• Warm 106.9 – Seattle, Washington

Go to our sponsor page to learn how to become a sponsor and support this beautiful, annual fundraiser for Seattle Children’s Hospital.

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Seattle Festival of Trees Event Update

 We are just TWO MONTHS AWAY from a treasured Seattle celebration!  The SEATTLE FESTIVAL OF TREES, one of the city’s most spectacular holiday events, is held each November at the Fairmont Olympic Hotel in downtown Seattle.  DON’T MISS OUT!

DINNER AND AUCTION    
Saturday, November 17
5:00 – 10:00 p.m.
Purchase tickets here

CELEBRATION    
Storytellers, caroling, Santa photos, and Silent Auction.
Sunday, November 18
1:00 – 4:00 p.m.

TEDDY BEAR SUITE AND GINGERBREAD HOUSE
Friday, November 23 – Wednesday, December 26 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Special Opening the The Teddy Bear Suite at the Celebration: Nov 18, 1 - 4 pm for the enjoyment of our Celebration guests. 

GET INVOLVED!

• Become a sponsor
• Purchase a tree
• Purchase gala tickets
• Make a donation
• Donate items to holiday gift baskets
• Join our guild

Your support of this event helps Seattle Children’s Hospital provide the best health care possible to every family, regardless of their ability to pay, and also provides funding to the hospital’s Autism Center.