Local non-profit organizations decorated and displayed beautiful Christmas trees at the Lehnis Railroad Museum to help raise money for each of their organizations as part of this year’s Christmas Under the Stars Festival.
The Boys and Girls Club tree entitled “Hill Country Christmas” sponsored by Home Depot sold for $300 taking the Silent Auction Winner award for the highest bid and was the public’s choice for Best Decorated.
The auction raised a total of $1565 for local non-profit organizations through the auction of the 10 trees entered into the contest.
In a particularly touching moment, one of the trees was given away by the winner to a very excited little boy.
On Saturday, Brent Wade and family walked through the museum admiring the trees and bidding on a few. One that particularly caught Brent’s eye was the “Military Christmas” themed tree decorated by Big Brothers Big Sisters. He bid on the tree and carried on with his family enjoying the festival for the rest of the day.
Throughout the day, bids continued to come in and Brent was outbid by a veteran who had seen the tree online. He was a friend of museum curator Kim Peterson and does not live in Brownwood, but he asked Peterson to place his bid up to a certain amount. No one out bid the veteran and he won the tree for $75.
When Brent and his family came back to the museum just before the auction was to end, they continued to watch their bids, and Brent’s sister Ashtin won a different tree from Family Services Center themed “Home Sweet Home.” Brent asked if he had won his military themed tree and his family found that he had not, and really didn’t realize how much the tree meant to Brent. Time ran out and the auction was over.
When Peterson saw how much the tree meant to Brent, she called her friend who won the auction and asked him if he would be willing to make the donation of $75 and give the tree to the boy. He agreed with no hesitation, Peterson said. Brent’s family stated that today had been a really emotional and tough day and that the gift of the tree was just what Brent needed. They were completely overwhelmed by the generosity and caring that the unnamed veteran showed.
Pictured above is Brent with his new Military Christmas tree.
Pictured below is the “Hill Country Christmas” tree from Boys and Girls Club which won the Silent Auction Winner award for the highest bid and was the public’s choice for Best Decorated.
