GFWC Seward Woman’s Club’s Festival of Tree’s Opens during the Seward Christmas Festival 2023
Launch the media gallery 1 playerThe GFWC Seward Woman’s Club hosted their annual Seward County “Festival of Trees” event at the Seward Civic Center - opening on Saturday, November 25th at 9:00 in the West Fireplace Room of the Seward Civic Center. The event was free and open to the public, however they accepted free will cash donations to support the St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital and asked for donations of scarves, mittens, gloves and caps for their annual mitten tree drive to support the Living Water City Mission in York. The theme for the annual Christmas tree exhibit this year is “Trees by the Children” and featured twelve entries created by children and children’s/youth organizations in Seward County.
The trees featured were sponsored by St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School in Seward, Our Redeemer Lutheran School in Staplehusrt, St. John Lutheran School in Seward, the Girl Scout Troop 20622 of Seward, The Big Blue Clover Crew 4-H Club from the Beaver Crossing area, the Elementary Youth of Bee, Nebraska, the SHS FCCLA (Family Career Community Leaders of America), the SHS Skills USA Chapter of Seward High, the SHS FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America), the SHS FFA Seward Chapter, the SHS Key Club-sponsored by the Seward Kiwanis and Payne Family of Seward. The trees are not in a competition, and no awards are presented to the youth groups, however, the participation is reflective of the high level of community involvement with the youth in Seward in community events and the students become part of the Seward Christmas Festival at the same time.
“Many of the Christmas Trees feature the logos and colors of the organization they are representing and most have a theme that reflects their group’s mission,” commented Jean Kolterman-co-project chair of the event. “The artifical trees were furnished by the GFWC Seward Woman’s Club and the children/youth groups were invited to create the decorations and “look” with their tree of their choice. One of our most unusual entries is the set of three decorated deer this year, but we love and appreciate all the entries!”
“We enjoyed a very large crowd on opening day this year at the Festival of Trees because of the crazy and mixed up weather on Saturday,” noted Rene’ Chandler-co-project chair for the Festival of Trees. “The Civic Center was really full and everyone was in great spirits-which is what Christmas is all about! The GFWC Seward Womans Club members also had other activities for the children during the visit and offered homemade cookies and hot and cold apple juice/cider free to all who visited our event on Saturday. It was a great day for families.”
The GFWC Seward Woman’s Club also encouraged all in attendance to sign a Christmas card or two for area Veteran’s in Residence in the Veteran’s Homes in the area. The GFWC Seward Woman’s Club will deliver the cards to the veteran’s before Christmas. Hundreds of individual Christmas cards were signed by individuals and families, wishing the US Military Veteran’s a Merry Christmas. They will be distributed by the GFWC Seward Womans Club members.
The annual exhibit of Christmas Trees will feature most of the trees through Christmas eve-December 24th, and the community is welcome to view the trees in the West Fireplace Room when meetings are not in session. The Civic Center located at 616 Bradford Street in Seward and open from 8:00 am until 5:00 pm unless there are meetings scheduled in the evening.
The GFWC Seward Woman’s Club is the oldest all volunteer Civic Group in the Seward Community, established in 1900 and is affiliated with membership with the General Federation of Women’s Club’s Inc., an international women’s organization dedicated to community improvement under the theme “Living the Volunteer Spirit.” The club meetings are the second Wednesday of every month at the Seward Civic Center-usually at 1:30 in the West Fireplace Room. For more information, contact Angela Belew, President of the GFWC Seward Womans Club at angelabelew@gmail.com.