The Gala of Trees: Supporting Children in Need
Gala of Trees is the mid-Willamette Valley's premier Holiday Auction and Gala benefiting Family Building Blocks and "Keeping Children Safe and Families Together" in Oregon. Each year, the Gala of Trees promises elaborately decorated trees of all sizes featuring exclusive excursions, luxury items and accommodations, locally-focused opportunities, and much more. Helping raise over $2 million since it began in 1990, Gala of Trees has supported the efforts of many organizations serving children in need in Marion and Polk counties. Tilton’s Therapy for Tots was honored to sponsor a tree for the event.
The cause is important to Tilton’s Therapy for Tots to connect with, as Debbie Tilton, Owner & OT is originally from Oregon. Aligning with the mission of the organizations, The Gala of Trees is an opportunity for Debbie to give back to her roots and similar services that she supports through TT4T.
The first Gala of Trees was held in 1990, and since beginning the event, many different non-profit organizations which support children in need have been beneficiaries. All proceeds from the event benefit Boys and Girls Aid and Family Building Block. This festive event, The Gala of Trees, allows them to make a significant impact in the community during the holiday season.
“Family Building Blocks and Boys & Girls Aid work to promote the safety and stability of children. Whether they remain with their biological families or find permanency with adoptive parents, we believe children have the most opportunity for success when raised with loving and caring adults.”
- Boys & Girls Aid
Gala of Trees 2022
Gala of Trees 2020
Gala of Trees 2019
Boys & Girls Aid
One of the non-profit organizations The Gala of Trees benefits is Boys & Girls Aid. This organization is based in Oregon and offers support for connecting families through foster care, adoption, and more. Their mission is in part, to maintain a commitment to “ensuring every child grows up with a family of their own.” Boys & Girls Aid was founded in 1885 when a crisis occurred and many children were abandoned. The organization was created to aid these young ones and help the community find them, and them find family.
Over the course of 135 years, the issue and crisis remains of children without families. Oregon has more than 8,000 children in the foster care system. Their goal is to ensure that every child in foster care grows up in a family. The cycle of foster care can be a difficult pattern for children to feel a sense of comfort and safety, and connecting them with a forever family is helping to build a better future.
You can donate in lots of different ways, through monetary donations, sponsorship, event participation or attendance, participating in a drive or goods donation, and more. Boys & Girls Aid also features many different stories of families and kids they’ve met along the way.
Learn more at Boys & Girls Aid
Family Building Blocks
The other non-profit organization benefited by The Gala of Trees is Family Building Blocks, based in Salem, OR. The organization was founded in 1997, and provides a certified Relief Nursery as a part of their services. They are “committed to keeping children safe and their families together” in their community. Part of their method is to focus on prevention, so they work with families who are in most need to help them give their children the best start possible. Sometimes the circumstances in life can be overwhelming, and Family Building Blocks is the only organization of its kind in the area to offer this for families in need at no cost.
Family Building Blocks offers different therapeutic early childhood intervention programs along with other services like therapeutic classrooms, home visits, parental education, and respite care. Families partnering with their organization also have access to their resources, like the emergency food pantry, clothing closet, and network of community referrals.
You can learn about their upcoming events or ways to donate to the organization, along with different opportunities to sponsor or volunteer to be a part of their team.
Learn more at Family Building Blocks
Tilton’s Therapy for Tots is dedicated to supporting organizations that align with our mission to provide for children and young adults. The Gala of Trees is a wonderful opportunity for Tilton’s to give back and support other community organizations make a bigger impact each holiday season.
Additional Resources:
https://www.boysandgirlsaid.org/galaoftrees
https://www.boysandgirlsaid.org
