Christmas time is here and for friends, family and seniors of the Kingsport, TN area the Christmas Tree Forest was the place to be. This was the first annual Christmas Tree Forest held at the Kingsport Senior center on December 5, 2008 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.  Seventeen to eighteen trees were donated by local businesses and corporations who had a special interest in the center. The trees were part of a silent auction along with an hors d'oeuvres contest.

"This is an event sponsored by our publicity committee here at the Senior Center," Shirley Buchanan Director of the Kingsport Senior Center says. "What we did was we went out into the community and asked for corporations or businesses that had an interest in the senior center to either donate a decorated tree or to donate $125 towards the purchase of a decorated tree."

With 17 to 18 trees the Christmas Tree Forest was created. Bids starting as high as $60 for a 6 1/2 foot tree and as low as $25 for some of the smaller trees was the range. All who were in attendance seemed to find joy in the air. "Everybody in together and of course the food; I had too much of that," Jim Lawson a member of the Senior center shares his experience says. He also added he enjoyed the festive atmosphere with all the Christmas trees.

As part of a contest to raise money, hors d'oeuvres were prepared by members of the senior center. Attendees could vote on his or her favorite hors d'oeuvres after tasting all of them.

Joan Wilder, a part time employee in the Cultural Arts division, helped prepare 13 of the hors d'oeuvres for the contest. Preparation for such an event is both time consuming and fun. For Wilder its took about 16 hours from start to finish to complete. While she was baking one hors d'oeuvres she would prepare another so she could complete all of them in time.

"All the proceeds are going to be going to Funfest this year," Buchanan says. "We are going to be having Seniorfest activities during the Funfest season, and that's what all the money is going to be used for."

The Kingsport Senior Center is located in the Renaissance Center in Kingsport, TN.

All photographs are provided by Julie Proffitt