“I’ll be Home for Christmas” is the inspiring theme of the Festival of Trees tree decorated by the Washougal High School Book Club members. The eight-foot noble fir will boost dozens of student-made milk carton houses, more than 800 lights and 100 feet of yellow ribbon garland. It will be auctioned to the highest bidder at the annual Festival of the Trees celebration on December 6 and 7 at Hathaway Elementary, 630 24th Street, Washougal and benefits Washougal Schools.
“The book club buys all the materials and does the building. It is a lot of fun and is a good thing to do,” said WHS Book Club president Sarah Hardy. “The money raised by the auction of the tree will come back to the high school.” The Book Club is one of the WHS organizations benefiting from proceeds.
Approximately WHS 12 students have been working on the project since November, under the leadership of Fran McCarty, Washougal High School library aid. They meet at lunch hours, 3rd period and after school. McCarty came up with the Christmas song theme and immediately thought of US troops aboard. “The students have really put their heart into this project,” McCarty said. “And they have had a lot of fun being creative and seeing it all come together.”
