Decorated trees will soon fill the student center atrium for the 22nd Annual Festival of Trees.  

Any group or individual on campus can decorate a tree for $12 or borrow a tree from Student Senate to decorate for $20. The money goes to the Wayne County Gifts for Kids program which provides gifts for kids in need during the holiday season.  

Lisa Nelson, an advisor for Pi Gamma Mu, said the Festival of Trees was started by Norman Small.  

“He was just one of those students that was always looking at how to give back to the community, how to involve students on campus, and he came up with this idea that we should decorate a tree and collect some donations for people in the community that wouldn’t really be able to have a holiday celebration without some assistance,” she said.  

Nelson says a lot has changed over the years. In the first year, each tree had a little container in front for people to vote with their change. Pi Gamma Mu bought the gifts with direction from a community organization and delivered the gifts and tree to the family.   

“The reason this stands out in my mind so clearly is that I remember being in the back of a pickup with Norman and Dr. Miller,” Nelson said. “I think Dr. Bertolas was in the cab of the truck. We had to hold on to this tree with all of its bulbs and decorations, drive to this trailer, and deliver it. I just remember the people came out and hugged us.”  

After that, they decided delivering a tree in the middle of winter was not a good idea. Nelson said each year PGM has improved how the festival is run, and now Student Senate is involved too.  

Randy Bertolas, an advisor for Pi Gamma Mu, has been involved since the beginning and says it’s fun and a way to give to the community.  

“A lot of college students look forward to the traditions in their family every year of going home and decorating a tree, that’s what they grew up in,” Bertolas said. “Then their freshman year, they go home for Christmas vacation, and you know what? The tree is already up!” Bertolas said.  

Students who miss setting up the tree with their family can do so and show their creativity by decorating.  

The festival starts mid-November so the trees can be up for three weeks and students don’t have to take the trees down during finals week.