SFHS Key Club Shines Bright in Forsyth Festival of Trees
Spreading holiday spirit through service. SFHS Key Club members stand tall next to their Christmas tree as they encourage individuals who stop by to donate gift cards and hand out candy canes. Members have volunteered for multiple hours during this event to support their goal of collecting 50 or more gift cards.
December 15, 2021
During the holiday season, South Forsyth High School Key Club is partnering with the Festival of Trees at the Collections of Forsyth to give its members a memorable volunteering opportunity as they give back to other local teens. My favorite part about the Festival of Trees is the response from Key Club members. We have had so much participation from members, and we love participating in events where members get to interact with each other and the community — Hailey Brakke, SFHS Key Club Vice President
SFHS Key Club is a student-led organization dedicated to making a difference in society through service. The club offers its members a variety of service activities throughout the year such as making gratitude cards for teachers, creating care kits for underprivileged children and organizing food drives for local meal pantries. While the list in terms of their service is endless, one of the biggest events this year is their participation in the Festival of Trees.
The Festival of Trees is a community event held each weekend from 1 P.M. to 4 P.M. from November 13th to December 19th. Located between LensCrafters and Rack Room Shoes at the Collections , there are many beautifully decorated trees, holiday music, a seasonal photo booth and warm hot chocolate at this event. There are many different organizations (such as Applerouth Tutoring, Furkids Animal Rescue and the Boys and Girls Club) that set up a table at the event in order to encourage individuals to join their program or donate items for support. Families and friends are welcome to check out these displays and booths that feature craft vendors and local nonprofits such as The Place of Forsyth and Family Promise of Forsyth County.
“My favorite part of the Festival of Trees is seeing how the community comes together,” notes Swetha Pendela, SFHS Key Club Co-President. “There are so many organizations from different schools and areas around us, and it is so heartwarming to see how we can all create change. It is also really sweet to see how the kids and families who visit interact with all the organizations as they really do want to be involved and help contribute to these meaningful causes.”
Key Club is partnering particularly with The Place of Forsyth to collect gift cards for teenagers in the community. During the holiday season, this non-profit is working to support teenagers in the county by providing a memorable gifting experience. Individuals can visit the SFHS Key Club booth at the Festival of Trees to donate gift cards from any stores in the Collection or any others teenagers might enjoy such as PacSun, Urban Outfitters, and American Eagle.
“Our hope is to collect gift cards to support teenagers in our community who do not always receive the special Holiday Season they hope for,” said Pendela. “The Place does a wonderful job of supporting families and youth in our community, and our goal, while we would love to help all the kids and adults that they support, is to focus on the teenagers who sometimes are overlooked during the holiday season.”
As the festival remains open, Key Club hopes to collect as many gift cards as possible to benefit The Place of Forsyth and its mission. Be sure to check out the Festival of Trees this weekend at the Collection to get into the holiday spirit and support SFHS Key Club.
