December 13, 2007

Holidays sparkle with Valle Monte League’s Christmas Tree Elegance

By Lorraine Gabbert
Staff Writer

The Valle Monte League’s Christmas Tree Elegance event celebrated its 40th anniversary in style with this year’s “The Jewels of Christmas.” Members raised about $500,000 in addition to the $7.5 million they previously earned to assist mental health agencies in Santa Clara County.

Valle Monte League members’ children and grandchildren steal the show, while professional models bring the fashion show to life. Photos by Lorraine Gabbert

The Christmas Tree Elegance event includes a week of celebratory fund-raisers ranging from a champagne brunch and a grand ball to a children’s party, all held at San Jose’s DoubleTree Hotel. A highlight this year was Macy’s fashion show, which featured professional models along with members’ young children and grandchildren.

Throughout the week, 18 ornately decorated Christmas trees set the backdrop for the festivities. “We look forward to seeing our guests and the excitement on everyone’s faces when they see the decorated trees,” said Heidi Bonneau, the event’s co-chair. The trees and their gifts are auctioned off to provide funds for the four charities the league supports.

“It’s fun to be a part of growing this event,” said Valle Monte League’s past president Barbara Campisi, who has been a part of Christmas Tree Elegance from the start. “We look around at these trees and can’t believe how fabulous they are. Our first event raised $5,000 and this year we hope to raise $500,000.”

The city recognizes all that the group does for the community. In honor of their 40th anniversary, Mayor Chuck Reed presented Valley Monte League President Ingela Butters with a commendation from the city recognizing the $7.5 million raised by the organization for its support of Family & Children Services, John XXIII Multi-Service Center, the Centre for Living with Dying and Alzheimer’s Activity Center.

“It warms your heart knowing you’re really doing something for people who need these services, who wouldn’t be able to get them,” said Butters. “At the Centre for Living with Dying, we sponsor their Healing Hearts program for young children and teens who have lost someone in their family. It’s so wonderful to know this is out there for people in need.”

In addition to helping those in need, the event also spreads holiday spirit. “This is a very festive way to kick off the holiday season, and it raises a lot of money for wonderful charities,” said member Elizabeth Gong Landess. Having worked as a juvenile dependency attorney, Family & Children Services is especially close to her heart. “They offer counseling services in several languages, including American Sign Language, on a sliding scale, help people with little or nothing,” she said.

Lani Dorff, director of Donor Relations, Family & Children Services considers Valle Monte League a critical partner in building strong, safe and self-sufficient individuals, families and communities. “Because of Valle Monte League funding, we are able to provide mental health counseling,” says Dorff. “They were pioneers in recognizing that people's mental health is as important as physical health.”

The trees
Christmas Tree Elegance earned its name through its professionally and creatively designed Christmas trees. Representing the Jewels of Christmas theme with names like, “All That Glitters,” “I’ve got a Golden Ticket” and “Bloomster’s Bling,” these trees are the backbone of Valle Monte fund-raising.

The Gems of California trees, designed by Interior Services of Los Gatos, reflected California’s natural jewels, like a sapphire-blue tree representing Lake Tahoe complete with skis and snowflakes, and an emerald-green tree adorned with deer and teddy bears representing John Muir’s mountains. Beneath the trees were Blenko glass, wine and tickets to the Children’s Musical Theater. Most popular of all was the Macy’s Nature’s Jewels tree, featuring a wide array of wine, china and culinary items.

The past-presidents’ tree, arrayed with peacock feathers, was also a crowd pleaser. It featured a 14-carat gold pendant with a 1.61-carat Burmese ruby surrounded by diamonds on a 16-inch chain embellished with 10 additional diamonds donated by Geneve Jewelers.

The grand ball live auction tree offered its winner a 13-day Crystal Cruise from Athens, Greece to Italy, Spain, Portugal, France and England. Adding to this fanciful prize was a red spinel bracelet donated by Joe Escobar Diamonds and a pair of diamond earrings donated by Mr. and Mrs. Charles Shepardson.

The fashion
With multi-media effects and clothes by designers such as Marc Jacobs, Ralph Lauren and Nicole Miller, the rich fashions and professional models delighted the crowd. But, it was the members’ children and grandchildren dressed in winter wear that stole the show.

The children’s show began with a backdrop of a snowman beneath a flurry of snowflakes and two children dressed as snowmen, complete with carrot noses. Walking two by two they showed off their ensembles, including snow boots, earmuffs and snowballs.

Behind the scenes, an army of stylists, composers, staging and lighting crews worked to create a mood of imagery and fashion. “It’s so wonderful to see whole thing come together,” said media designer Mark Johns of Slide and Spin Productions. “The whole is so much greater than its parts. To do this has been a real treat,” he said.

Smith agrees. As producer, she strives to weave elements together to tell a story. “Each segment is a little jewel,” she said. “We try to transport the audience to another place.” Smith also appreciates the wonderful collaboration between Macy’s and Valle Monte League.

The children’s tree, designed by Asiel Design, features a collection of children’s playthings from dollhouses and stables to pirate ships and Sponge Bob.

“This league is an elegant, sophisticated group of women who come together to do such wonderful work in the community,” she said, “so we want to make sure our production mirrors that; we want to entertain the audience and kick off the holiday season with a beautiful, heartfelt show that underscores the depth and beauty of this organization and the work they do.”

This show is special to the models as well, many who have been doing the show for years. Each model donates a portion of fees to Valley Monte League. “They do it from the heart,” says Smith.

A gift from the heart
For Bonneau, it’s all about the children. Each year, a group of children from Family & Children Services join the children’s party. While the entertainer Daffy Dave was on stage, signers interpreted what he was saying. “There are so many things we take for granted,” said Bonneau, “like the ability to hear. Seeing the extra efforts it took for the children to enjoy the show resonated deeply with me.”

For past president Beverly Scoffone, Christmas Tree Elegance is a joyous start to the holiday season. “Valle Monte League has been a big part of my life,” she said. “Full of friends, happiness and giving back to society. That’s what it’s all about: giving, love, friendship and Christmas.”